Bella's Coven
by MayeGirl
Summary: After rescuing her from James, Edward sends Bella to Jacksonville with her mother. She returns to Forks for her annual summer visit and is changed by Victoria. Later Bella changes a girl that looks just like her. Forty years afterwards, after forming a family, Bella and her strange coven move to Port Townsend where they come across the Cullens. First fanfic here. R
1. Turn her

I remembered clearly the look on his face, the fire in his eyes, as he told me to leave with Renee, to move to Jacksonville - away from him.

I remembered exactly the words that he said as he ordered me away - and the pain that it caused me.

"I'm bored of you, Bella. You're no longer worth my time. Go to Florida with you mother and get on with your life."

So I did. Or at least I tried to. I really did.

I went to school for the remainder of the year. I kept my grades up. I made sure Renee's and Phil's bills got paid on time. I cooked and cleaned.

I tried hard not to think about the pain in my chest, the ache to see him.

He no longer wants you, I reminded myself now as I slipped easily through the forest. He never wanted you.

Even now, after all these years of not seeing him, I still loved him with all my heart. Even with all the pain caused by his harsh word.

I clenched my hands into hard fists as I remembered what had happened only forty years ago during the summer after I had met him.

Though it had only been two months since I had moved from Charlie's home in rainy Forks, Washington, to Jacksonville, I was still required to take the mandatory summer trip to Forks.

Charlie had picked me up from the airport as usual and we had spent the next few days in peaceful silence. I had gotten excruciatingly bored one day and had decided to take a walk through the woods behind Charlie's house like I used to do when I had lived there.

I should have known what would happen that day.

I halted in my steps now and raised my hand slowly to the place her teeth had torn into. I knew she had meant to kill me, but two vampires had appeared and torn Victoria away from me - leaving the venom to circulate through my body.

I had woken up three days later, in the Cullen's empty home. Two unfamiliar vampires sat next to me on the floor. The female was just as short as Alice but her hair was white blonde and long, just like her apparent mate's.

"Hello," her bell like voice rang unnaturally clear in my ears. "Who are you? And would you care to explain why your scent is all over the Cullen's house and where they are?"

I smiled now at the fear I had felt upon meeting Charlotte and Peter, Jasper's brother and his mate. It had taken me several hours to convince the red-eyed vampires that I didn't know where their brother's family had gone and that, should they find the Cullens, they should never mention or think about me as a vampire. After that, they had left me and I had wandered alone - away from human civilization.

I taught myself to hunt - Cullen style. Slowly, my eyes had turned from crimson to golden topazes. I hunted alone in the forest's surrounding Forks for only a year before I was entirely in control of my thirst.

It was the anniversary of my "death" and I decided to finally wander into Port Angeles to see if I could purchase a car before I would move farther away from my old home.

It was after dark when I was driving slowly through town, rejoicing in my new Prius. That was when I smelled it.

Blood. Lots of it.

I could hear the faint heartbeat as it slowed and the sobbing of several people near it. I slammed on my gas and followed the scent to a small group of familiar people.

The La Push kids had grown a lot in my year of solitude. I recognized only one of them, the biggest in their group. He was Billy Black's son Jacob and he smelled awful, like a mixture of animal and human.

Actually, they all did.

But where, I frowned in confusion. The blood I was smelling was sweet - human. I finally spotted the source of the scent in Jacob's arms.

It was a young girl. She was very pretty for a human with dark brown hair that was matted with her crimson blood and, I realized with shock, she looked exactly like I had when I was human. Her heart shaped face was grimacing in pain and I realized that she had a long gash running across her throat.

"Jacob?" I said quietly as I approached the group of four boys and the girl.

Jacob looked up at me in shock - his eyes filled with tears.

"Bella?" he asked confused as he quickly glanced between me and the girl. "I thought..."

"She's one of them," one of the others gasped.

"But she has the Cullen's eyes," another said, the youngest.

Jacob glanced back at me sharply. "Please, Bells, I'll explain later. But please, help her!"

I flashed to his side and took my "twin" from his arms. After a quick analysis I determined there was nothing I could do. The poor girl was almost dead.

"Jake..." I said quietly, the pain in my own voice evident.

Jacob's fiery hand gripped my wrist. "Turn her. Bella, I can't live without her. Turn her, please."

Hesitantly, I stared down at the girl. The excess of venom pooling in my mouth at the scent of her blood. If I didn't change her now, I would never learn who she was.

****I took her wrist in my hand and quickly bit down, allowing my venom to spread through her veins.


	2. Ah, the Irony

**Wow! Thank you everyone who favorited, followed, or review this story! It got five reviews in the first week and I honestly didn't think anyone would actually read this.**

**First, to clear something up, this WILL NOT BE A FEMSLASH! I'm sorry to disappoint a few of you, but that was never my intent. That was a mistake of mine due to the fact I am entirely new to FanFiction and haven't gotten the hang of it. Yet. I'm getting there. I swear.**

**Also, sorry it's taken me so long to update! My computer broke and so the only internet access I had was on my little brother's Ipod and it didn't do Google Docs where I am currently writting.**

**And thirdly, I will be gone all next week, but I promise to take a NOTEBOOK (you know those things made out of paper you use a PEN or PENCIL to write in? My mom just introduced me to them, **jk**) and will write whenever I get a chance.**

**Anyway, enjoy and I'll see you at the end!**

* * *

I smiled as I remembered the events that followed meeting up with Jacob and changing my human look alike. I took them all back to the cave I had made into my home and she had screamed for three days. During that time, Jacob explained his side of things.

He told me about the wolves and the old Quileute legends. He showed me how he could change from one form to the other. Then he explained about imprinting and what it meant. And that that was how he came upon this girl.

Apparently, he and his friends - Embry, Quil, and Seth - had been hanging out in Port Angeles, watching movies and such, when Jacob had started to feel a tugging sensation, pulling him towards the outskirts of town. He remembered from the eyes of his brothers what the beginning of the imprinting felt like and immediately recognized it for what it was.

When he had followed the pull, he and his brothers had come across the girl in an empty alley, bleeding to death, and had imprinted on her. That was when I had come across them and changed her. We couldn't figure out why she looked like me, but I figured she must be a long lost relative or something.

After her three day transformation, the girl woke up with barely any memories. She remembered being abandoned by her parents - who we later found out had adopted her unwillingly - but she did not remember her name. Jacob opted for calling her Angel or something along those lines, but the girl did not wish to be called something she was not and begged me to choose a name for her.

I was with Jacob on calling her a name that reflected her sweet nature and how quickly she welcomed me as her "sister." She reminded me greatly of Esme Cullen that way, but her spontaneity made me think of my mother, Renee.

Esme and Renee. Renee and Esme. Renesmee.

Renesmee loved her name, especially when I told her why I had chosen it. Jacob declared it was a mouthful and dubbed her Nessie, to both of ours dismay.

I taught Renesmee how to hunt animals and how to control her thirst for human blood. Her eyes had turned from red to gold slower than mine had. For me, the change had only taken two months, but for Renesmee it lasted for the better part of her newborn year.

Jacob stayed with us that entire year, helping me control "Nessie" when the blood lust got to her and dutifully ignoring the fact that she wouldn't give him the time of day. He was content in just being her shadow protector.

Of course, I smiled at the memory, that was until we met Vern.

* * *

Vern was a red eyed newborn when Renesmee and I first encountered him on a hunting trip to Yellowstone National Park. His creator, Carlos, had also been his birth father. Carlos had been turned by mistake at age twenty-nine, when Vern was only three, and resented what he had become, trying his hardest to only hunt when it became absolutely necessary. He kept watch over his only son and had followed him for years, until he was about eighteen. Vern and his high school buddies had decided to take a camping trip after graduation - before heading off to college - and thought that Yellowstone would be the perfect place.

And it was. Until Carlos took a brief trip outside the park to hunt and Vern had fallen into the Yellowstone River and been dragged over the Upper Yellowstone Falls - a height of over a hundred feet. Carlos had dragged him out, believing his son dead, to find that he had the faintest of heartbeats. Without even thinking it through, Carlos had leaned down and bitten Vern's neck, allowing his venom to penetrate his son's body, turning him into a vampire.

They had kept to the forested parts of the park for the two weeks between the time Carlos had changed Vern and when they had come across Renesmee and I hunting the overpopulated deer. Carlos had been curious about our golden eyes and Vern wanted to know who the "sexy vampire chicos" were. We had swapped our storied and Carlos begged for me to teach them both how to hunt and control their thirst.

It took about two weeks for Carlos's eyes to turn completely golden - it ended up taking three months for Vern since he was still in his newborn year at the time - and then we had all returned to La Push.

Sam Uley - the previous leader of the Quileute pack - had married Emily Young and had retired from his duties as Alpha, leaving Jacob in charge and welcoming the non-human feeding vampires onto their land - for short visits.

Jacob welcomed us back happily and chastising me and "Nessie" for being away so long. I reminded him gently that it had only been two weeks while we waited for Carlos's eyes to change color.

Jacob had not, however, been happy to learn of Vern's infatuation with Renesmee. It took him some time, but between the undying loyalty he offered her and the annoyance caused by Vern's constant ego and flirting, Renesmee finally accepted and returned Jacob's feelings.

And, we all had laughed when this revelation come into light, it turned out Vern had only been treating Renesmee that way to drive her into Jacob's arms. The boys bond after that had been almost ironclad.

After a few years, the locals had grown suspicion of us never seeming to grow older and we had decided it was time to move on.

We moved across the country to a little town on the east coast that averaged about ten sunny days a year and settled in as the Swans, Wolfes, and Waynerns, renting apartments and attending high school and college.

We had stayed there for almost a year when Carlos found a mate in Gia Hernz, a twenty-five year old aspiring artist. Carlos saw her at an art museum and fell in love instantly. He had watched over her all day as she studied the various paintings and sculptures. When she had been preparing to leave, Carlos had ignored the urge to follow her and, in consequence, had not been able to save her when a drunk driver ran a red light.

Throwing caution to the wind, Carlos had seized Gia from the center of the crowd and changed her into a vampire. Of course, once we explained everything to Gia, she had been more than happy to adopt our hunting habits and join the Swan Coven, marrying Carlos in a quiet ceremony about a year and half after her final awakening.

After that, we traveled where the wind blew us, stayed for about six to eight years, and avoiding the great state of Washington like the plague.

And on the "celebration" - Renesmee always insisted we "celebrate" it when I just felt like mourning - of my fortieth birthday, we were out hunting mountain lion - my favorite because I always felt like I was depriving him of one each time I killed one - when I heard a shriek of terror.

Following the noise and catching the scent of human blood, I came across a sixteen-year-old African-American girl hanging from the edge of a cliff, her climbing gear having all come undone. I had quickly rescued the girl, scaling the rocky mountain side like it was a child's jungle gym. Once we were both on the ground, I had berated her for climbing by herself and she had broken down into sobs while my family gathered around.

Her name was Abeni "Ben" Conteh and she had just found out her boyfriend of three years was cheating on her with her "evil step-sister" and had wanted to clear her head - thus the reason she was climbing all by herself. At one point during her story, she chocked her head at me and asked if I was an angel.

I explained briefly about vampires and she begged to become one.

I sighed and was about to run her to the nearest city - and possibly a therapist - when Vern pulled me to the side.

"Bells... you know how Dad and Gia are always going off about... love at first sight?" he asked hesitantly, his eyes begging me to understand him.

I glanced between him and Ben who had not taken her eyes off him and nodded in understanding.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ben?" I asked her. "There will be no going back. You'll never grow any older and you'll never be able to have kids."

"I'm not seeing a downside to this..." she replied, grinning at Vern.

Reluctantly, I bit her wrist and allowed my venom to seep into her blood system and to her heart.

* * *

It has now been exactly forty years since my own transformation and I finally felt like I was ready to return to Washington. The...others... would most likely have moved to another continent by now. He had once told me that they switched countries every few decades to keep things interesting.

It would be safe.

I hoped.

Carlos and Gia, who were to be posing as our parents, went to Washington first about a month ago, to find a house away from Forks and arrange for us to enroll in high school.

They came back yesterday morning with pictures of our new home and city, Port Townsend. An almost exact replica of Forks.

As vampires who never need to rest or sleep, we were able to completely pack up our old house in one day. And we were now on our way to Port Townsend. To Washington.

* * *

"Come on, Mom!" Renesmee hollered as she ran agilely out the front door.

I rolled my eyes at her nickname for me and grabbed the last of the boxes.

"Call me 'Mom' and I'll call you 'Ren,'" I threatened - she hated that name more than "Nessie" for some reason. "I'm way too young to be a mother."

"Technically, Bella," Carlos grinned at me as he took the boxes out of my hands, "you're fifty-eight. You could possibly be a grandmother, or even a great-grandma."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, sliding into the backseat of the black Audi a4 with Jacob and Renesmee.

"Cheer up, Bells," Jacob smiled apologetically at me. I hated that he knew the real reason I was in a bad mood. "They won't be there."

I sighed and leaned my head back against the seat. "Yeah. It's just... the memories and pain are still there."

Renesmee reached across the werewolf in between us and cupped my cheek. I suddenly got an image of me ripping him to pieces and I smiled.

"Thanks, Renesmee," I was thoroughly cheered up now.

"You're welcome," Renesmee smiled, pleased that her gift could come in handy once again.

Her gift was a strange one - the exact opposite of _his_. She could put whatever thoughts and images in any person's mind that she pleased as long as she was touching them.

"Are you kids ready?" Gia asked as she hopped into the front seat next to Carlos.

"Oh, si," Renesmee replied, the only one eager enough to learn Spanish.

"Let's get the show on the road," Vern hollered as he and Ben came out of the house and hopped into his green Chevrolet Corvette Coupe.

"Hey, son," Carlos called threw the open window.

"Yeah?"

"Race ya!" He hit the accelerator and I grimaced at the squeal of tires as we left our house in Maryland for the cross country road trip to Port Townsend, Washington. To home.

* * *

"Gia! Carlos! Esta casa es increíble!" Renesmee cried as she ran through it, checking out all of the rooms.** (Gia! Carlos! This house is amazing!)**

"Thank you, Renesmee," Gia smiled.

"Dibs on this room!" Vern hollered as he dumped his and Ben's luggage in the only bedroom on the main floor. "And I'd almost bet that Beller is taking the room in the attic," he added, smirking as he watched me carrying my two suitcases up the stairs.

I rolled my eyes but kept silent. Since I was the only non-imprinted/mated person in the coven, I tended to retreat to the far reaches of the house to avoid the more... intimate noises the others could make upon occasion. Vern knew this was the reason and kept making fun of me and my "virgin ears."

The room in the attic was the largest room in the house - a little smaller than all of the main floor - painted in a dull beige, flat color and I made a mental note to go select some paint as soon as possible. The carpet, coarse under my bare feet, would have been soft to a human, but I could feel every fiber in it.

The slanted ceiling that met the floor in a tent fashion held sixteen different full length windows and I was delighted to discover that they were in the balcony style so that when I opened them I would have sixteen tiny balconies to walk out on.

I dropped my duffle bag and sped downstairs to collect the rest of my stuff. Once everything was gathered into my room, I stole Carlos's car keys and headed to the nearest hardware store for some paint.

* * *

"Can I help you?" a sixteen year old girl with long brown hair wearing a bright blue polo shirt asked me as I perused the paint aisle in search of a decent color.

"Um, yeah... I'm looking for a color to paint my room... What would you suggest?"

Color selections were kind of hard for me seeing as almost every color related back to them.

"Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind?" The employee asked me kindly.

"Anything but green, blue, brown, red, orange, yellow, pink, silver, or gold." I answered.

Green were his eyes before the transformation.

Blue was the color he had liked best on me.

Brown was his favorite color.

Red was Rosalie's car.

Gold or orange or yellow were their eyes.

Pink made me think of Alice.

Silver was his car's color.

"Um," she gave me a funny look, "let's see what we have then..." She led me back to her mixing station and began pulling colored sheets from the shelf. "How about this?" she asked, holding out a beige similar to what the walls were already painted.

"No," I shook my head, smiling. "A little bit of color, perhaps?"

"Kay." She continued flipping through the sheets and I peered over her shoulder - ignoring the dull scent of her blood - to see them.

"Wait, stop. Go back two," I ordered.

She did as she was told and turned two of the sheets back over.

"That color," I said, pointing at the pale blue. The exact same color of the Arizona sky during high noon in the middle of summer.

"Would you like that in gloss, semi-gloss, satin, or flat?" she asked politely as she prepared to mix the color for me.

"Semi-gloss," I replied, glad that I had taken that interior design class twenty years ago and knew what the heck she was talking about. "Two gallons."

"Here you go," she grinned handing me two gallons of the paint.

I pulled out my platinum credit card and paid for the paint before I headed out the door for home. I frowned slightly when I caught sight of a silver Volvo s60.

"Ah, the irony," I muttered as I climbed into Carlos's car and returned home.

* * *

**Well, what did you think? Did you like it? Please review, it makes my day.**

**Also, I'm thinking of writing - well, posting, since I've already started to write it in one of my magical notebooks - a crossover between Harry Potter and Twilight. There will be no bashing for either fandom, but Cullens won't be vampires. Just amazingly awesome wizards. And Bella will be one of the Chosen Ones... and will have no clue as to who the Cullens are or what they did to her. What do you think? Or am I just insane in thinking that it would be an awesome story, cause I already have half a chapter written and the rest planned out in my mind. Let me know! You're opinion actually DOES matter!**


	3. She looked like

**Alright, so I know I said I wasn't going to update for a week or so, but this chapter wouldn't wait. It was literally flying off my fingertips!**

**By the way, you guys are amazing! I've gotten so many favorites and follows! Please, don't forget to review and check out my other stuff which I spent the morning uploading from DeviantArt.**

**Oh, and DISCLAIMER: I don't own Twilight!**

* * *

It only took me the one night to paint and rearrange my room the way I liked it; bed, with it's purple sheets and cream bedspread, pushed against the wall farthest from the trap door entrance; bookshelves organized alphabetically - first cd's which I never listened to, then dvds I never watched, followed by the books I hardly ever touched - were pushed up against the wall to the right of my bed; my dresser, wardrobe, and vanity all stood to the far left; and finally, my easel, paints, and canvases took up the rest of the space. Lavender colored curtains hung from each of the window, giving the entire room the impression of a summer's sky at twilight in which the clouds were turning a soft pink and purple while the sky still burned blue.

"Wow, Mom, this looks amazing!" Renesmee cried from behind me and I reach back to smack her for calling me "Mom" again.

"Thanks, Ren," I replied when she dodged my hand.

"I'm serious, sis. You have such an amazing eye for these kinds of things. Now if only I could get you to put that talent towards your wardrobe," she muttered. "Or even into makeup."

I laughed before glancing down at my clothes - blue, quarter sleeve plaid farm shirt over a cream colored tank top and matched with faded and ripped blue jeans and brown knee-high riding boots that clung to my toned calves. "Hey, I think I look good for a fifty-eight year old."

"Yeah, but it wouldn't kill you to wear some eye shadow or something. Or a skirt. Or maybe something other than ripped blue jeans and sweats." She added in a huff.

I sighed. I'm going to regret this...

"Alright then, how about I let you pick my clothes for the first day of school tomorrow then." I said.

"Really!" She squealed, hugging me tightly. "You're the absolute best twin ever!"

She danced over to my wardrobe and started flying through it.

"Technically, the first day of school is today," Jacob said as he came through the trapdoor, yawning. "You both realize that it's three in the morning, right?"

"Did we wake you up, Jake? Sorry, we didn't mean to be that loud." Renesmee explained, concerned for her mate.

"Nah, that was Vern and Ben's doing. They're being really loud right now." Jacob announced, slumping to the ground at Renesmee's feet.

"I'm sorry, baby," she pouted, reaching down to stroke his hair.

"S'alright. I'll just sleep up here. Nice and soft..." his voice faded as he returned to sleep.

"You don't mind if he sleeps here, right, Bells?" Renesmee asked, worried.

"No, that's fine. I think I'm going to go hunting." I replied, leaving the two to sleep and hunt through my clothes.

I launched myself out the open balcony window and free-fell until fifteen feet above the ground. At the last possible second, I twisted and landing softly on the balls of my feet to lighten the impact and avoid pounding a hole into the rocky ground.

"Be back by six!" I heard Gia holler at me from inside.

I smiled and shook my head as I took off running at full speed to the mountains twenty miles away where I could find an irritable bear to battle.

I was greatly aggravated currently and I wouldn't dare go into the human world without releasing my irritation on some poor, unsuspecting bear.

Alright, it was a little twisted, but I'd rather kill a bear then lose my temper in the presence of humans.

I returned home as soon as my eyes were burning a bright golden color and relieved most of my tension. I took a quick shower and got dressed in the clothes Renesmee had picked out for me, glad that she hadn't gone overboard, before I looked in the mirror.

"Nice job, Renesmee," I called down to her. "Thank you!"

"No, thank you, Bells." She replied. "For not looking like some small town farm girl on the first day of school."

I shook my head in amusement at my sister and turned back to the mirror. I was wearing dark blue skinny jeans that were tucked into a pair of black leather slouch boot with a three inch stiletto heel. I wore a long sleeved dark green t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket which fell slightly above my hips. My hair, dark mahogany curls, fell loosely down past my waist.

"You kiddos ready to go?" Gia, our mother for all intents and purposes, called up the stairs. "You don't want to be late on your first day!"

"What if we did?" Vern asked sarcastically, and I could hear him and Ben dashing about their room in a rush to get ready in time.

"Vern, if you and your wife don't get your butts down here in the next five minutes I swear I will total your car!" Gia threatened.

I smiled as I grabbed my book bag and rushed down the stairs as Vern and Ben came stumbling out of their room.

"Yes, Mom," Vern grumbled.

"He didn't get enough sleep last night," Renesmee joked.

"Are you kidding me?" Jacob asked incredulously. "They were pr-"

"Jeeze! Jake!" Renesmee cut him off. "Not that kind of sleep! I'm talking about dream sleep!"

"Oh..." Jacob blushed. "Well, I didn't get enough dreamtime either!" he defended himself.

"No, Jake," I grinned. "You're head's just in the gutter."

"He'll be in the doghouse soon too, if he doesn't get his butt out the door," Renesmee added, pushing her husband towards the garage.

Jacob sighed and walked quickly out the door and to his Chevy Silverado which had appeared sometime in the night courtesy of Carlos's tow truck friend.

Wait a minute, I thought, if Jake's car is here, that means...

I raced out the door at inhuman speeds and started squealing when I saw my midnight purple Nissan Altima. Granted, most people wouldn't think my car was all that great - hundreds of people drove one just like it - but it was my car. It was the same as with my truck. It belonged to me and no one else.

"Who's car we taking?" Vern asked, coming outside and standing next to his Corvette.

"Let's just take them all," I answered, not wanting to start a fight over who got to show off their car first.

"Alrighty then," Jake said, hopping into the cab of his truck.

Renesmee got in after him and Vern and Ben slid into the Corvette while I slipped into my Altima.

"Race ya, Vern!" Jacob hollered and sped down our driveway.

"Cheater!" Vern shouted and hit the accelerator hard.

Rolling my eyes at my brothers, I followed them at a legal speed because I didn't feel like dealing with the police if I got caught.

I pulled into the school parking a good ten minutes after my siblings and was amused to see Jacob and Vern arguing over who had won.

"My car's faster!" Vern shouted as I parked. "I would have won if you hadn't cheated!"

"Cheat?! I didn't cheat!" Jacob shot back and I could tell he was trying not to grin. "You're the one who cheated you've got all those extra parts to make it go faster!"

"Guys," I called, getting their attention. "Shut up."

They both scowled at me, but I could clearly see the amusement in Jacob's eyes.

"Vern," I remembered something. "You haven't changed our eye colors yet."

"What?" Vern's scowl was replaced by a confused frown. "What are you - oh. Yeah, sorry."

He quickly used his special abilities to make all of our eyes change back to our human colors of brown and hazel, making it easier for us to blend in.

"Come on, you guys," Ben ordered, skipping off in the direction of the main office, her dark brown hair bouncing over her shoulders. "We've got to get our schedules!"

We all followed her towards the high school and as soon as we got inside, Ben retreated backwards to allow me to take the lead.

Although at home, Carlos was the father and Gia the mother, I was the leader when it came to school. I decided when it was time to move on.

The door to the office swung open in front of me and a short girl with spiky black hair flew out.

"Oh!" she cried shocked. "Sorry, I didn't know someone was out... here." Her voice squeaked on the last note and she stared up at all of us.

"That's okay," I smiled down at her - she was obviously a freshman.

She tilted her head at us curiously before apologizing again and dashing down the hall.

"Weird," Jacob muttered behind me. "She looked like..."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Something about this school," I mumbled glancing around and catching students staring at us. "I'm putting my shield just in case something happens," I warned them.

About ten years after my transformation, we had discovered that I was what was commonly called a "shield." I could literally create shields though. Both physical and mental shields. The ones I wrapped around my family right now were mental in case we ran into an unfriendly vampire with a mind affecting gift like we did this one time in Maine - long story short, she wasn't too happy that she couldn't reduce us to a pile of whimpering babies with a single glance.

I smiled at the memory and pulled the door in front of us and stepped into the office with my siblings close behind me.

"Good morning, can I help you- oh!" the woman at the desk gasped as she finally looked up at us. "Oh, my."

Jake and I glanced at each other, confused as to her reaction, and I immediately strengthened the shields around us.

"Um, can I help you?" the woman squeaked.

"Yes," I frowned at her shocked expression. "My name is Isabella Cigno and this is my sister Renesmee; her boyfriend, Jacob Nero; his cousin, Vern Waynern; and his girlfriend Abeni Conteh. We're the new students."

Jacob, Renesmee, and I had all chosen to go by fake names since we were too close to Forks. If someone here were to hear our names and make the connection... we would have had to leave town quickly.

"Oh, right!" she smiled, reaching behind her to grab a stack of folders. "Here are your schedules and the papers you need to have your teacher sign and bring back at the end of the day," she explained as I handed the right folder to the right person. "There's a map in there for you to use. I highlighted the best routes to your classes. If you need any help, feel free to ask. I'm sure all of the students will be more than happy to help you out," she added in a muttered not intended for our ears.

"What was that?" I asked sweetly.

"Oh, I was just saying that you don't look alike but your files say you're all siblings," she lied quickly.

"Yes," I smiled, amused with her lie. "We're all adopted."

Her eyes bugged out and my family and I swept from the room in a flock formation with me at the tip, my sisters to my sides, and my brothers standing guard.

"Let's head to the lockers," I said, my smile disappeared now that I wasn't dealing with an adult human.

We ignored the stares of the adolescent, hormonal teenagers and glided down the hall with ease. I led the way to our lockers which were all right next to each other and we finally opened the folders to look at our schedules.

"What do you have first, babe?" Vern asked me.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Your wife is right there, hon."

"At least I know he means nothing by it when he's talking to you," Ben muttered as she skimmed through her folder.

"I've got Calculus first." I told them.

I suddenly spun when I caught sight of a head full of bronze curls. I frowned at the boy who was practically drooling over me and my sisters and he quickly scurried away.

"What the heck..." Jacob muttered. "Bells... Two people now who look like."

"I know," I muttered while the other three stared at us in confusion. "It doesn't make sense."

"What are you two...? Look like who?" Ben asked, her brow furrowing.

I reached back and quickly tapped a rhythm gently on the locker door. Hard, soft, hard, soft, pause. Soft, soft, hard, pause. Soft, hard, soft, soft, pause. Soft, hard, soft, soft, pause. Soft, pause. Hard, soft, pause. Soft, soft, soft.

She nodded in understanding, her vampire brain deciphering the Morse Code quickly.

I had only told them once what had happened but they all remembered it. They all could remember the haunted look I had got in my eyes when I finally told them about the Cullens.

Hard, soft, hard, soft, pause. Soft, soft, hard, pause. Soft, hard, soft, soft, pause. Soft, hard, soft, soft, pause. Soft, pause. Hard, soft, pause. Soft, soft, soft.

* * *

**So, what Bella was tapping on the lockers was Morse Code for C-U-L-L-E-N-S. The Hard taps are dashes, the soft taps are dots, and the pauses are spaces. She didn't want to say their name out loud because the memory is still painful for her.**

**Don't forget to review! Please! It REALLY REALLY REALLY makes my day!**


	4. They're Here

"What do we do if it is the Cullens?" Renesmee asked panicked.

She had no desire, whatsoever, to see me in that kind of pain again.

Jake scowled. "How about we rip them to pieces?"

He remembered the devastation I had put Charlie through when I had requested to return to live with Renee in Florida. And the pain he had suffered when everyone believed me dead.

"No," Ben said, smiling evilly. "You're all going by different names, right? Well, the Cullens will all know Jake's a mutt 'cause of his smell. They know you don't age. Why don't you pretend that Bella had moved on?"

"I'm liking where this is going..." Renesmee said slowly. "Bella married Jake..."

"What?" Jake asked panicked.

"Fine, she married Mike!" Renesmee cried.

"Absolutely not!" I declared.

"Alright, how about you died an old spinster?" she scowled at me.

"I'm only fifty-eight," I scoffed at her, insulted..

She sighed. "Okay. How about you went off to college at -"

"No good." I cut her off. "They'll look up records to verify our story... if they're actually here," I muttered, praying that they weren't. I couldn't deal with them.

Renesmee sighed, exasperated with me. "You married a small town boy from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere when you were twenty-one- ish. You had a daughter with him and named her _Elizabeth_ - to keep things realistic."

"When Elizabeth was nineteen, she went to Italy for a school tour and met and married a young man there - which is why you both have an Italian last name." Ben added

"Elizabeth had two twin daughters and Jacob - the immortal werewolf - imprinted Bella -"

"Who goes by Isa!" Ben and Renesmee exclaimed together.

I folded my arms and stared at them blankly for a minute. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time you two have made up stories about my life?"

"Cause it isn't," Renesmee grinned, thoroughly pleased with herself.

I sighed and turned towards Jacob, "How do you feel about this, Jake?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Whatever makes Nessie happy."

"Alright, we'll stick to our usual story unless they're really here and ask about it. I'll start going by Isa now to make things easier," I said as the warning bell rang. "Now let's get to class."

"Wait!" Ben shouted as we were all about to split up. "Vern, give us all the illusion of a heartbeat - it'll make us all seem more human if they're really here." She added when we all gave her a confused look.

"Got it," Vern said and I could suddenly hear four heartbeats which hadn't been there a second ago.

"Kay, let's go," I ordered.

We split up to head to our classes; Jake to Gym; Renesmee and Ben to AP World History; and Vern and I to Calculus.

"So I'm guessing you're going to be doing the introductions?" Vern asked.

"If the teacher makes us, then yes," I replied.

"You're the best, Isa." He leaned over to kiss my cheek as he called me by my new nickname just as we entered the classroom.

I frowned when I caught sight of a blonde haired girl out of the corner of my eye, but continued on to the teacher's desk without glancing at her. It was probably just another person who _looked_ like the... But seriously, what was the chance that there were _three_ people who had almost accurately recreated their unique hairstyles and colors?

The boy from earlier had obviously spent hours dyeing his hair to get that precise shade and then another hour or so - and probably an entire bottle of gel - in order to get it into the careless disarray that _his_ hair was always in.

Alice's hairstyle was easy to mock - short black hair in tiny spikes - you could do it without trying, really. But _his_ hairstyle... that boy had to have seen it at some point.

I felt Vern's elbow digging into my side and I was quickly jerked from my daydream as we approached the teacher.

"Yes?" the tiny woman with the beaked nose and winged glasses asked in a nasally voice.

"Hello, My name is Isabella Cignor and this is Vern Waynern. We're the new transfer students." I introduced ourselves.

"Yes, I remember hearing about you this morning. You're that new lawyer's spawn," she sneered. "He looks too young to be having teenage children."

"We're all adopted," I replied airily, perfectly mocking Alice's tone when she was trying to get her way. "My mother died during childbirth - twins y'know. Doctors couldn't do a thing," Vern used his ability of illusions to make it look like I had tears in my eyes. "Daddy was killed in a car accident about a year ago. Vern's parents were in a boating accident. A wave turned them over and pinned them under the boat. They would have died even if they hadn't have drowned - his father's neck was snapped when they flipped and his mother hit her head on the side of the boat."

The false tears were streaming down my cheeks now and I allowed a tremble to creep into my voice.

"Where's the slips you need me to sign?" the teacher asked, panicked by my tears and eager to get me as far away as possible.

Sniffling slightly, I pulled our slips from my bag and handed them over. I whipped my tears as she quickly signed them and handed them back.

"Thank you," I smiled wearily.

She nodded, "You can both take a seat back there next to Miss Hale."

I stiffened slightly at the name.

_They really are here_, I thought, panicked before thanking her and turning around.

Rosalie Hale sat in the back row in the far corner gaping at me. Her long blond hair was piled up into a haphazard bun and she was wearing old threadbare sweats. She looked like she hadn't hunted in a while and to put it bluntly, she looked like the living dead. The kind of vampire you would see in movies - hollow cheeks, sunken eyes.

_And yet she still manages to look like a goddess_. I thought bitterly. _A fallen angel._

"Bella," I heard her whisper almost inaudibly - Vern and I would be the only ones to hear since we were the only vampires in the room. "Impossible."

"Come on, Isa," Vern nudged me forwards and I continued towards her like she wasn't the sister of the man who broke my heart.

When we sat down next to her, I could feel her stiffen and see her confused frown at the sound of my fake heartbeat. I subtly pulled my Iphone out and opened a mass conversation with my family - the only people in my contacts list.

**Me** - Rosalie's here

I got back two text messages from Jake and Renesmee both very similar.

**Jacob** - Emmett is in here with me. Wonder what happened to him, he looks like crap.

**Renesmee** - Alice just walked in. I thought you said she was a hyperactive pixie. She's giving my strange looks.

I texted her back

**Me** - you look like me.

I had to put my cell phone away because the teacher - who I now knew was called Miss Zlo - was beginning her lecture. As soon as class was over, Rosalie leaned over and introduced herself to us.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale, and you are?" she asked giving me strange look - obviously my brown eyes, youth, and heartbeat were throwing her off.

I fought back a smug smile. _Let's add to the confusion, shall we._

"Isa Cignor and this is my brother Vern Waynern." I smiled brightly and spoke in an accurate imitation of Renesmee when she was excited.

"Cignor?" She asked, her smile fading ever so slightly. "That's an interesting name."

"Thanks! It's Italian - my dad you know. He and Mom met during a college summer trip. She wasn't too happy when she ended up pregnant with us not too long after the wedding, but then-"

I was cut off by Vern's hand covering my mouth. "Geez, Isa, don't talk her ear off on the first day." He smiled at Rosalie. "Sorry about my sister, she tends to get a little overexcited when meeting new people. I swear her grandma dropped her as a child. They're both klutzes."

I glared at him angrily. Great, now I'll have to act like a klutz.

"Oh, that's fine. She reminds me of my sister," Rosalie smiled, but I could still see the tint of confusion in her eyes.

"We've got to go, Isa," Vern added to me. "You're meeting Ness for English remember?"

"Ness?" Rosalie asked confused.

"My twin," I explained, shoving Vern's hand out of my face. "Renesmee. It's a combination of our great-grandma's and grandma's proxy mother's names. Well, that's how we phrase it. Gran likes to say it the name of the most wonderful woman alive and the devil's mother combined."

"What names were they?" she asked, frowning.

"Renee and Esme," I grinned brightly as I slung my bag around my shoulder and waved goodbye.

I waited patiently around the corner for Vern to join me and we both broke into laughter as soon as we knew Rosalie was out of earshot.

"You- You should have seen the look on her face!" Vern gasped.

"Playing with Rosalie's mind?" Jacob asked as he, Ben, and Nessie joined us.

"Oh, yeah," Vern grinned. "Did you guys do anything fun?"

Jacob shrugged, "I ran into Emmett and he just stared at me like an idiot. He looks like crap though. Like a human who hasn't slept in weeks."

"Same with Alice," Renesmee agreed. "She looks like she hasn't eaten in over a month! I wonder what happened to them."

"Are you talking about Doctor Cullen's kids?" a freshman boy had broken off from his group of friends to eavesdrop on us.

"Yeah, I think so." Ben lied swiftly. "Are they the family who all look really sick?"

"Yeah," he replied frowning. "Sometimes they'll look healthy, but those days are usually the worst. They're all sulking then - like they did something they really regretted."

"What happened to them?" Renesmee asked faking concern. It would have been believable but I knew her too well. She was gathering amo.

The boy shrugged. "No one knows. The only moved in about two years ago, but they all keep to themselves. I've got to get to class. See you guys around."

"Yeah, see ya." I muttered.

"Ah, crap," Vern muttered. "I've got Biology next. It's on the other side of campus."

"Better start running now then," Ben said, unsympathetic for her mate.

Vern took her advice and dashed at a quick human pace through the crowd.

I smiled. "Wait to keep it up, you two."

"Hey!" Renesmee said excitedly. "Before we all leave for class, can I just say one thing I've been dying to get the chance to say for a _long, long, long _time?"

"What?" Jacob asked.

She donned an evil grin and said in a creepy sing song voice, "_They're here!_"


	5. Newest Game

I moved through the rest of the morning easily - English with Renesmee, Gym with Ben, and History with on my own. We all met up at our lockers for lunch hour.

"Where we going to sit?" Vern asked as we all ditched our books from the last morning period.

"In the cafeteria," Ben answered, smiling at her scowling mate.

"Cute, Ben. But seriously..." he replied as we all started towards the cafeteria.

I shrugged, "We'll decide when we get there."

"You guys will have to decided without me," Renesmee announced. "I forgot my bookbag; I'll meet you there." She turned and headed back in the direction we had all just come from.

"She should have blond hair," Vern muttered as we entered the cafeteria and joined the lunch line. "Because she sure acts like one," he added seconds before Jacob smacked the back of his head.

"That's my girlfriend you're talking about there, Waynern," Jacob growled.

"Sorry, _Black_," Vern snarled back.

I placed my hands on their chests to stop the oncoming fight, but both of the boys winked at me and I finally noticed that Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were all watching us from their table in the corner.

_A set up_, I relaxed, impressed. _Got it. We don't want them to think we're all that close_.

"Settle down, boys," I ordered.

"But he's insulting Nessie!" Jacob snarled and I saw the "aw-crap-I-messed-up" look cross his face.

_Yep_, I thought. _Now you can't be _imprinted _on me. Way to go, Jacob_.

"I don't care, Jake," I said. "You and Vern need to get along better. We are a family now. And Vern," he flinched away from the tone in my voice, "you need to stop picking fights."

"Whatever, Isa," Vern muttered, seeming to deflate from his anger in his fear of me.

He knew I was always the one in charge, even when we were faking fights. They all knew that when I said_ Stop_ they had better stop.

We paid for the minimal amount of food we had selected as the boys continued to elbow each other in silent irritation.

"Go sit down," I ordered them both. "_Right now."_

They quickly retreated to a table in the corner, only two away from the Cullen.

"Isa, where's...?" Ben began, glancing around the cafeteria and I knew she was asking about _him_

"I don't know," I shrugged, my fake heartbeat sputtering. I could feel Alice's gaze boring into the back of my head and I ducked my head to hide behind my curtain of hair.

"How are you doing anyway? Are you feeling better?" she asked, stroking my arms that held my food tray comfortingly.

"I'm coping," I shrugged. "The nausea has passed. Headache is still there," I lied for the Cullens' sakes.

"I'm so sorry, hon," she apologized hugging me, understanding me precisely.

I may technically be older than her - by birth year at least - but Ben would always be my older sister.

"Do you want to go home? I can drive you," she offered sympathetically.

"No." I said, my voice hard, "There are only two classes left. Plus it's the first day, I'm not ditching."

**_Translation: _**_I'm not running away. _I thought quietly. _Not this time._

She nodded, understanding my unspoken words perfectly.

We joined the boys at the table and dumped our bags before I glanced back at the door, looking for Renesmee - she should have been back by now.

The door opened and I caught sight of _him_.

His bronze hair and chiseled chin still made him look like a walking Adonis. His usual golden eyes were completely black and hollow - lifeless. The shadows under his eyes were dark like bruises. His skin, normally so pale, was completely colorless now.

I knew the signs.

Edward Cullen had not hunted in over a month.

Our eyes met across the cafeteria and I saw a flash of confusion across his face. The confusion quickly turned to realization, then anger, then to pain and regret.

The cafeteria door opened behind him, but Edward didn't move out of the newcomer's way, effectively trapping the person behind him.

I caught sight of Renesmee's mahogany curls over his shoulder and decided it was time to play with the mind-reader's mind.

I stood up and waved to Edward, smiling brightly.

His pain turned into a mixture of shock, relief, and joy.

Grinning, I ran at a human pace - dodging the mortals, tripping slightly on purpose, and ignoring everyone's stares - and focused my gaze on Edward's face.

"I missed you!" I cried dramatically as I darted around him at the last second and threw my arms around Renesmee.

I could feel the air stir behind me as Edward turned around, shocked that I hadn't been talking to him and that he was now looking at two of me. I pulled back from Renesmee and scowled playfully, "Where have you been?! You've been gone for _ten whole minutes!_"

Renesmee laughed, "Did you manage to get a sugar high, Is - Oh!" Her eyes bulged when she caught sight of Edward over my shoulder. "Isa!" her voice dropped to a whisper by human standards which we both knew he would still be able to hear. "Did you see that guy, Is? With the bronze hair?" she started in on the newest game with the Cullens.

"I know," I agreed grimly in the same volume. "He looks like those paintings Gran used to do all the time."

"Except the guy Gran painted looks healthier and evil," Renesmee joked and I laughed loudly.

I turned around and caught Edward watching us, still in shock.

"Bella," I heard him whisper in a vampire's volume.

I knew we were confusing him greatly. What with our vampire scent, pale skin, and Renesmee obvious grace in contrast with our brown eyes, false heartbeats, and my purposeful clumsiness.

"Oh!" I cried, faking surprise to find him there. "Sorry! I almost ran into you!"

Edward continued to stare at my in silence and I decided to speak again.

"My name's Isa and this is my twin _Ren,_" I smiled, using her loathed nickname intentionally.

"_Isabella_," Renesmee growled. "Just because _you_ hate your full name does not mean _I_ have to go by a nickname also! My name is _Renesmee_. _Renee_ and _Esme! __Combined!_"

I smiled at her evilly before turning back to Edward who had yet to take his eyes off both of us. "We're new here," I announced. "And you are...?" I raised my eyebrows in fake curiosity.

"Edward," his voice, which I remembered as being soft and smooth like velvet was hoarse and cracked - dry like a dying man's last words.

"Cool!" I cheered, "It's nice to meet you, Eddie! We've gotta sit with Renesmee's boyfriend's family now. Bye-bye!"

I ignored him protesting being called _Eddie_ and dragged Renesmee off towards Jacob, Vern, and Ben.

"Sorry, baby," Jake cowered as Renesmee sat down next to him. "I screwed up."

She sighed theatrically, "I figured as much. It's alright though. I'll punish you later. And I'm sure Isa would love to help me. Right, Isa?" she asked as she kissed him.

"Wait, what?" Jacob cried at the same time I said, "Of course."

"What is with those Cullen kids?" Vern suddenly asked.

I glanced up to find him watching them with a glare.

"They all look like crap and they keep glancing at you three," Ben announced.

Alice suddenly got to her feet and danced over to us. "Hello," she smiled, her musical voice obviously forced into cheerfulness as she joined our table. "My name is Alice Cullen, Edward's little sister."

"Who the heck is Edward?" Jacob asked loudly before quietly mumbling, "Leech."

"Jacob!" Renesmee and I shouted, her hand resting against my hand under the table so that we could speak in unison. "What a horrible thing to say! Apologize!"

"And the twin telepathy has shown through," Vern commented in an eerie voice.

"Shove it, Vern! It's not telepathy!" We shouted in unison again. "We're just amazing at speaking in sync with one another. And Jake still needs to apologize for calling Alice a you-know-what when she most definitely is not one!"

"She looks like one!" Jacob muttered again.

"So? According to Gran, Renesmee and I do too," I said, rolling my eyes.

_We're amazing at this_, Renesmee told me silently.

I twitched the corner of my lip up quickly to silently tell I was amused also.

"Yeah, but-!" Jacob began.

"Apologize," Renesmee ordered menacingly, her false brown eyes darkening.

"Alright, alright," Jacob muttered, scowling. "Sorry, Alice."

Alice cocked her head curiously. "It's alright?" she asked, confused. "What did you even call me? What did you mean by_ leech_?" We could tell she was just trying to figure us out.

"Nothing," Jacob, Renesmee, and I said together.

"It's a family insult," I explained when Alice made no move to leave or change the topic of conversation. "Gran uses it to describe her ex-boyfriend, from when she was a teen. It's the _ultimate_ insult in our house." I glared at Jacob.

"Ask them who their grandmother is," I heard Edward order quietly from his table. "I have to know for sure. And their grandfather."

"Who is your grandmother?" Alice asked obediently. "And where's your grandpa?"

"Gran's name was Isabella White," Renesmee answered; proud to have come up with a fake last name on the spot. "Grandpa was Brayden White. They both died in the same car crash as Daddy last year."

I bursted into laughter as I fully registered _exactly_ what Renesmee had just said. "You totally just referenced a movie!"

She rolled her eyes at me, "Not on purpose, Isa."

"You still did it!" I laughed, holding my hand out for her to pay me.

"Stupid bet," she muttered, tossing me a twenty dollar bill.

"Did I miss something?" Jacob asked, mildly confused.

Ben rolled her eyes. "They took a bet - while you were asleep one time - that Renesmee couldn't go without referencing a movie for..." she trailed off, realizing the bet of thirty years would give us away as vampires.

There was an awkward silence as Alice - and probably the rest of the Cullens - waited for her to finish and Ben just stared off into space dazedly.

"Anyway!" I called when the silence stretched on too long for anyone's comfort, "I won and that's all that matters. Which means," I hopped to my feet and threw my hands in the air in a victory pose, "I am the Supreme Ruler of the Universe! Mwa-ha-ha!"

My family stared at me in surprise.

I _never_ acted like this.

Not even when I was human.

I suddenly became aware of Jasper playing around with my emotions - trying to find a way to get me to say something they could use.

Obviously he thought triumphant might work.

Wrong.

I thickened the shield I had around my family and me, successfully blocking out his abilities, and sighed.

"This new school is tiring," I complained, collapsing forward across the table like a human would their desk late at night. "Two more hours and then I can sleep."

"What do you guys have next?" Alice asked,

"Jake and Vern are going to English. Ren and Ben have Calculus." I mumbled.

"Stop calling me that!" Renesmee growled.

"Kay," I murmured sleepily.

"What do you have next, Isa?" Alice asked.

"Bio," I mumbled, chuckling tiredly. "Gran met the Leech in Bio, after lunch... in Forks." I used the second of my special abilities to retreat all the way into the back of my head, the perfect sleep.

No human could ever sleep as deeply as I did, and I was a vampire who should not be able to sleep at all.

Here, it was silent.

Here, I was safe.

Here, I could dream about the good times before Edward stopped pretending to love me.

Here it was just me and him in our meadow.

* * *

**A/N: Hi, people!**

**Wow! You guys are amazing! I have almost forty followers for this story! I honestly didn't think anybody would like this!**

**Once again, I must apologize in advance for not updating this next week. This time, I'm going CAMPING! But I promise to take a notebook again.**

**Also, my story in my notebook took a wrong turn so I'm pulling a U-turn and that might take a while to figure everything out. But you can ask my best friend's sister who was with me in the car on the way home from Ohio on Saturday, I hardly ever stop writing.**

**And finally! Nobody answered me about whether or not they would be interested in a HP/Twilight crossover. I'm writing it for my enjoyment in a notebook, but I won't bother with typing it if no one is interested in it. Let me know, please!**

**I'll see you all next week!**


	6. Definitely Related

I stayed in the back of my mind, sleeping, until I knew it was time for me to head to Biology. I opened my eyes and found my family gone; in fact, the only one left in the cafeteria was Edward who was sitting next to me reading a book - _Wuthering Heights_, I noted with a mental smirk.

_Now we'll really have him confused_, I thought, delighted to have him watch me sleeping, an impossible feat for every vampire except for me.

"Good morning," Edward looked up from his book and smiled, amused as I yawned and stretched - not really needing to.

"Did you have a nice nap?" I noticed his eyes were golden and he looked healthier.

_He must have hunted while I was sleeping_, I thought to myself, surprised.

"Yes. Did you have a nice meal?" I asked, hinting subtly at his unusual diet.

"Yes," he smiled that same smile he had given me when we had first met. The smile that implied he was laughing at a private joke - a joke he didn't know I was in on.

We sat there in silence for a minute, just staring at one another, and I could tell by the slight crease in his brow that he was still trying to figure me out.

"You didn't get anything to eat," he pointed out, his frown deepening. "I saved you a granola bar," Edward offered me the ordinary granola bar with little nuts in it.

"Allergic," I grimaced at the foul smelling thing. "Thank you though. That's very thoughtful." I grimaced internally at the praise I was giving him. "I'll eat when I get home."

"Oh..." There was an awkward silence as he continued to just stare at me, tracing my vampire features and brown eyes with his golden orbs as I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat.

"Uh, I'd better get to class," I said quickly, gathering my bookbag up into my arms.

"Yeah..." Edward said dazedly before snapping out of whatever trance he was in. "Oh, yeah, hey, I'll walk you," he announced hurrying to his feet.

"You don't -" I began, panicked.

I didn't exactly want to spend more time alone with him. That thought reminded me to kill my siblings at the most convenient opportunity.

"I have the same class, Bella," Edward said seconds before wincing at my usual name.

"_Isa_," I corrected. "_Eddie_," I smirked.

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "You look a lot like this young woman I knew a while ago. She was named Isabella also... but she choose to go by Bella."

"A friend of yours?" I asked as we began our trek to the Biology lab room.

"No," Edward said quietly after a moment of silence.

_Jerk!_ I shouted mentally. _So you cant' even consider me a friend_, I thought bitterly. _That's nice_, leech.

"So you are named for your grandmother?" Edward asked suddenly.

"Yep."

"How did she and your grandfather get married?" He demanded.

I couldn't help but laugh quietly at him because that wasn't exactly a question you would ask someone you _just_ met. In fact, I couldn't tell you any of the stories of how my siblings _parents_ met, let alone their _grandparents_.

I decided to play with his mind again.

"It was a... marriage of convenience," I began, "on her part, at least. Papa - that's what I call my grandfather," I added unnecessarily. "Papa loved Gran more than life itself and Gran..." I paused. I wanted this story to express every minute of my pain without giving away who I was. "Gran was broken," I finally said quietly. "She didn't trust anyone anymore. I don't know what happened, just that when she was young, she gave her love to a man who didn't love her." I took a deep breath. "Gran moved out of her father's town when she was seventeen to live her mother in Florida. When she was eighteen she moved as far East as she could go and got a job at a piano making company - kinda hoping that one of the piano's she helped build would find it's way to the Leech's hands (Leech is what Gran calls her ex when she's angry, because he 'leeches' the life out of her whenever she thinks of him). She met Papa who loved her inspite of the damage the Leech had created." I noted with satisfaction that he winced every time I said "Leech."

I took a breath to continue my story when Edward hurriedly interrupted me. "What did she call him when she wasn't angry?"

I shrugged, "_Him_, _he_ - pronouns mostly. I've never learned his name. She gave nicknames to his family: Doctor" - **(A/N: Hi Doctor Who fans! AEF,** **this is totally for you!) - "**Momma, Mountain Man or Grizzly Bear, Ice Queen, Pixie, and Soldier." I could hear the other Cullens - who I now realized were hiding around the corner from where we stood - whispering. I glanced down at my watch. "We need to get to class!"

I took off around the corner at a human's pace and smiled at how fast the Cullen's could scatter.

Like the cockroaches they are.

* * *

Edward and I ended up being lab partners yet again; Fate must really hate me. We sat in silence though the entire lecture - me doodling idly on a notebook paper and Edward staring mournfully off into space.

After class, I pulled out my schedule to which room I had to find next and groaned, "Gia!"

"Pardon?" Edward asked, surprised.

"My adoptive mother," I muttered, angrily shoving my books into my bag but still exercising enough restraint to not crush the books or tear the bag. "_Apparently_, she signed me up for the music group when she registered my siblings and me for school."

"You play?" he asked, rudely shocked.

I rolled my eyes mentally, but shrugged politely, "A little."

"What do you play?" Edward demanded of me again.

_So demanding_, I grumbled silently.

"Piano." I said nonchalantly.

"That's... nice," Edward finally said and we headed off to the music room since we apparently had yet _another _class together.

As soon as we entered the large music hall, I spotted both of our families spread throughout the classroom - I quietly cheered that I wouldn't have to suffer alone through an hour of listening to monotonous teenagers attempt to sing - and I realized we were divided into groups of voice ranges.

Mrs. Taylor - the teacher - immediately swooped down upon me like a hawk on its prey. "You must be Isabella!" she cried, obviously delighted to have a new student to torture - Ah, I mean, _teach_. "Your mother says you have the most beautiful voice."

I shrugged indifferently, "Gia's exaggerating."

"You call your mother by her first name?" Mrs. Taylor frowned at my apparent disrespect.

I snorted. _Yes_.

"No," I said aloud. "Gia's my adoptive mother - guardian really since they only adopted me last year. My mother's dead."

"Oh..." I swear I could hear crickets chirping as she fidgeted awkwardly. "Are you an alto or a soprano?"

"I sing both," I answered, pleased she had quickly steered away from my "tragic past."

"Perfect!" she cheered, directing me to a seat and beginning her lesson.

"They're definitely related," I heard Jasper whisper at a vampire speed and volume as we began to cover the different types of brass instruments.

"I can't believe Bella would call me _Pixie_!" Alice fumed.

"Everyone calls you a pixie," Emmett pointed out.

"And at least you're not Ice Queen," Rosalie hissed back. "I know I wasn't the nicest of people to her, but _Ice Queen?!_"

"You were a total brat to her, Rosalie," Edward growled. "And I am the one being called the _Leech_."

"Do you think they know it's us?" Emmett asked curiously.

"No," Alice answered hesitantly. "Isa doesn't seem to be making the connection."

"I can't get a reading on any of them," Jasper, Alice, and Edward said at the same time.

"It's like they're emotionless," Jasper frowned.

"Their futures are blank," Alice agreed.

"They're not even there!" Edward raised his voice just enough for Mrs. Taylor to hear.

"Mr. Cullen?" the teacher frowned at the interruption. "What's not there?"

"My books," Edward scowled, discretely tossing his books across the floor under the desks to Emmett. "I had them when I came in, but they're not here anymore."

"Emmett," Mrs. Taylor's tone was threatening towards the snickering big bear of a vampire who could snap her like a blade of grass.

"Sorry, teach," Emmett laughed, throwing the textbooks back to Edward over people's heads. "Saw the opportunity and just couldn't resist."

"Make sure you _resist_ next time," she warned him as menacingly as a human could.

I decided I would rather _not_ see this woman as a vampire.

"Make sure there _isn't_ a next time," Emmett growled lowly to Edward. "Isa's watching us."

Edward glanced over at me and I shifted my gaze out the window over his shoulder.

"No, she's not. She's looking out the window," he disagreed with his brother.

"Weird," Emmett muttered. "I swear she was just..."

I laughed silently. I had the Cullens so confused now; they were even doubting their sanity.

The music portion of class began and the Cullens ceased their conversation. After class, Renesmee slid her hand into mine so she could talk silently.

_They that we're your grandchildren_, she told me, delighted. _I heard Alice and Jasper talking before you came in with Edward. Why were you walking with him anyway?_ Her thoughts took on an angry tone.

"Because we have the same classes after lunch," I snapped, jerking my hand out of hers. "You _know_ I don't date. Geez!" I turned and found Edward and the others watching me. Scowling, I dashed out of the room and down the stairs towards my locker.

Edward caught up to me as I was throwing all my book into my bag. "Hey," he frowned. "Are you alright? What were you and Renesmee shouting about?"

"Nothing," I snarled, slamming the locker door closed.

"It's not nothing if you're upset," Edward argued.

I knew he knew what I had yelled; he just wanted to know why I had shouted.

"You know what!" I yelled, frustrated with the whole situation. "I don't even know you! You sure as _heck_ don't know me! And you _don't _know what I've been through! So _back off, Cullen_!"

His eyes flashed with anger as I turned away; he grabbed me by my upper arm - tight enought to bruise a human arm - and roughly hauled me back around to face him.

"You're right," he growled, inches from my face; never before had I ever seen Edward Cullen, the walking Adonis, look so much like a _vampire_. "I don't know you. You don't know me either, and you have _no right_ to talk to _me_ like that. I was trying to help."

"No," I snapped. "You were trying to meddle in -"

"Don't talk to me that way!" Edward snarled angrily, his eyes turned black as his grip tightened enough to break a human's arm - or hurt a vampire's.

"Ah-ah!" I cried out in pain.

"Edward!" Alice shrieked, racing around the corner at the other end of the hall with the other Cullens and my family close behind her.

"Let her go!" Jacob and Vern ordered, looking ready to tear Edward apart and burn the pieces to ash.

Edward glared at them all before turning his black eyes back to me. He took in my terrified expression and his eyes turned to pain and regret. He released my arm swiftly, stepping away, and I collapsed onto the ground, dry sobbing and clutching my aching arm.

"Oh, geez," Edward groaned, running his hands through his already messy hair, making it even messier. "Geez, Isa. I'm so sorry, Isa. I- I-"

"You might want to get out of here, Edward," Jasper murmured, stepping in between us.

"No! I want to -" Edward began.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Emmett, Jacob, and Vern snarled at him.

"You've already ruined one relationship with this family," Rosalie reminded him, vampire quiet. "You might be able to repair this one, but not right now."

Edward stared at all of them silently before nodding and running away from us.

As soon as he was gone, my family dropped their defensive stances and crouched by my side.

"Move," Jacob ordered Jasper

The Cullen vampire moved quickly out of everyone's way to make more room for my family.

Renesmee gently pried my arm away from my body to inspect it. "Nothing's broken," she murmured, lightly brushing the very tips of her fingers along the bruise Vern had slowly developing in the shape of Edward's hand already. "Just bruised."

"She should see a doctor," Alice chirped and I knew she had a particular one in mind.

We all ignored her as my brother and Jacob lifted me gently to my feet.

"Give me the key to the truck, Jake," Renesmee ordered, holding her hand out for it. "I'll take her home; you drive her Audi."

Jacob obediently handed over the key to his beloved truck and snatched my backpack up off the ground - my keys with it.

"See you guys at home," Renesmee said, wrapping her arms around my waist and leading me down the hall.

I leaned my head against her shoulder and I could feel her turn to glare at the Cullens as we passed them. I could feel Edward's eyes on us as we crossed the parking lot to the truck.

Renesmee helped me into the cab and I immediately curled into a ball against the door.

"I can't do this, Ness," I whispered as she walked around to her side. "I can't let him break me. I can't go through that pain again."

"But you won't run," she guessed, sliding into the driver's seat.

I smiled grimly and she smiled happily in response.

"Then just don't let him close," she suggested before her smile turned positively evil. "In the meantime, I'm plotting revenge on the Cullens."

I laughed at her obvious answer and plans of vengeance; soon, we were both in hysterics. I saw Edward in the trees as we drove past, and the pained expression on his face made my laugh - so joyous just seconds before - turn bitter.


	7. Esme

**Special shout-out to BlueGirl98! My 50th follower! And thankyou everyone who has favorited/followed/commented this story. **

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The next morning I was surprised when I _woke _up. I couldn't remember falling asleep last night. Usually it was a conscious decision for me to retreat into that dream like state.

"Bella!" Renesmee shouted from the garage, "We need to leave!"

I raced downstairs and into my car, jerking on my boots as I started the engine up. Renesmee's eyes widened as she caught sight of my outfit.

"Please change clothes," she pleaded with me as I jerked the gear into reverse. "Bella, I am begging you. Please, please, please, wear a different outfit."

"There is nothing wrong with this one!" I shouted peeling out of the driveway.

"Yes, there is!" she screeched, as we arrived at school.

"Is not!" I returned, racing to class since we were late.

"Is too!" she whispered nonstop throughout our shared English class in second period.

Our little argument continued through the morning classes until we were sitting down to lunch and she slammed her book bag down on to the table.

"Please, change clothes, Isa," she pleaded. "I have another outfit in the truck. You know it'll fit you perfectly!"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't be so much like the Pixie, Renesmee. What the heck is wrong with what I'm wearing right now?"

"White wife-beater? Baggy, blue sweater? Black yoga pants? Ugg boots? Messy bun?" she hissed loudly. "You look like you crawled out of bed and came straight here! And don't call me Pixie!"

"You sure are acting like her," Ben and I muttered together.

"I am not!" Renesmee screeched. Several people turned to stare at her, and I could see, out of the corner of my eye, all of the Cullens watching us.

"Anyway," I said, "I _did_ just crawl out of bed. I woke up late."

My family stared at me. Despite my power to force myself to sleep, I usually didn't need to sleep. The stress of dealing with the Cullens yesterday had worn my brain out and forced me into sleep.

"You _slept in_?" Ben asked, shocked.

"My reaction exactly," I said, taking a swig of the bottled blood I had brought to school with me.

"Back to your outfit," Renesmee stressed in a growl. "Will you _please_ just change?"

"No, I am perfectly happy with the way I am," I joked, smug, and she snarled.

"I meant change your clothes! Jeez, Isa! This is why you can't get a boyfriend!" she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, shocked at the words that had just left it. "Oh my gosh, Isa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!"

I smiled. "No, the reason I don't have a boyfriend is because I don't _want_ one. I'm perfectly happy with remaining single after the last one."

Renesmee opened her mouth then snapped it shut. Her eyes bugging out. "No!" she breathed quietly and I closed my eyes.

I should have kept my quiet. I shouldn't have said anything. She had seen right through me.

"No, Isa, please. Tell me you're not... You're not still in love with _him_, are you?" Renesmee looked both disgusted and angered at the thought.

I stared down at the chocolate chip granola bar I was slowly reducing to crumbs.

"I'll kill him!" she growled. "I'm going to hunt him down and tear him to shreds!" Renesmee got up as if she was going to do just that, but Jacob grabbed her arm and hauled her back down.

"Killing him won't help her, Renesmee. Don't you think I would have done that by now if it would?" Jacob asked, his tone bitter.

"You know?" Renesmee hissed. "You _knew_ she was still in love with him after all he did?"

Jacob shrugged sheepishly. "I know Bella better than you do?"

I sighed. "I suppose I might as well just start to go by Bella. It seems everyone is calling me that." I turned towards the Cullen table and found them all studiously engaged in a hurriedly started conversation. "The Cullens included."

"Sorry, Isa," Jake smiled grimly.

"Bella, now," I corrected amused.

"The way you two jump topics is ridiculous," Vern grumbled. "I thought we were talking about how _Bella_ is still in love with _him_."

I rolled my eyes, "How do you know about _that_?" I asked for the game's sake.

"You sleep-talk," Ben answered; continuing the game. "You're always shouting the same name. 'Anthony! Anthony!'" she used Edward's middle name.

Wincing, I frowned at her. "Do I really talk in my sleep?"

"Yes," my family answered together.

"Almost every night," Renesmee added, referring to the nights I choose to sleep.

"It gets annoying," Vern put in. Ben slapped the back of his head.

"Huh," I said, chewing gently on my thumb nail.

"And returning back to the original conversation," Renesmee suddenly growled. "How the heck are you _still_ in _love_ with _him_?"

"I thought the original conversation was about my outfit?" I asked sarcastically. I sighed when she glared at me menacingly. "I never stopped." I whispered after a silent moment. "Even after everything he said to me, I never stopped loving him."

"How can you just... _accept_ that?" Renesmee snarled.

"I always knew he was too good for me," I shrugged.

"It's not fair!" she suddenly shrieked, her anger mixed with her pain for me. "W-what he did to you is n-not f-fair!"

"Hasn't anyone ever told you?" I joked half heartedly. "Life isn't fair."

I saw Edward flinch out of the corner of my eye. Those were the exact words I used forty years ago when he asked me why I had moved to Forks and I told him about Phil and Renee.

Renesmee sighed and glanced down at her mate's watch. "Ah!" she cried, jumping to her feet. "I almost forgot!" Renesmee ran from the cafeteria, throwing a quick glare at the back of Edward's head as she passed.

"Where's she going?" I raised an eyebrow at Jacob.

The big werewolf shrugged, looking just as confused as I felt. "I have no clue. Nessie doesn't tell me everything you know."

"She should," Vern pointed out. "Couples should tell each other everything. Secrets in a relationship can tear people apart!" We stared at him like he had grown another head and he hurriedly added, "Plus, she now has me fearing for my car."

He ran after Renesmee and Ben rolled her eyes. "What does he expect after he ruined her brand new Just Her bag?'

"That she's forget about it," I answered. "I have known him longer." I replied to her unspoken question.

The bell rang and I got to my feet. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later. I've gotta get to Gia's fundraised." I had no actual intention of going, it was just an excuse to ditch.

"That's _today_?" Jacob asked, suspiciously innocent. "I forgot."

"Jacob..." my tone was both inquisitive and worried.

"Don't worry. I'll get pictures," he grinned wolfishly. "It'll be like you were here."

I sighed and shook my head, "They'd better be some darn good photos, mutt."

"Sure, sure," Jacob said waving as I walked past the Cullens who'd I'd been ignoring all day. I sped home in my car and flopped down on the couch.

"Alright there, Bella?" Gia asked, coming into the living room, her hands covered in flour.

"Stressed," I muttered into the pillows. "Cullens have been trying to talk to me all day - apologize for what the Leech did yesterday."

"But of course, you want him to be the one to apologize," she guessed.

"He's the one at fault," I grumbled. "He did the crime, gotta do the time."

Gia laughed gently at me. "Well, since you're here, why don't you help me frost these cupcakes and get to the bake sale?"

I giggled, following her into the messy kitchen, "I can't believe how quickly you find fundraisers and charities, Gia."

"Don't forget, missy, I've been here for over a month," Gia replied as she picked up a blue frosting bag and began to decorate the chocolate cupcakes. "And there were flyers for this bake sale all over town. Plus,... Esme Cullen asked me to help out."

I froze, my orange frosting bag hovering over a cupcake.

She and Carlos had known the Cullens were her. That _he_ was here. And they had still brought us here.

I knew Gia. I knew she was completely incapable of purposely harming anyone of her children. So the fact that she had brought me here could only mean one thing.

Gia was nervously frosting pastries as I thought through things, waiting for my reaction.

"Thank you," I said quietly, finally starting to frost the cupcakes.

Gia looked up, surprised. "I thought you wouldn't-"

"No, I understand." I interrupted, knowing what she was about to say. "I never got closure for what happened. You and Carlos have given me a chance for that."

She smiled at me, "I was thinking more along the lines of 'revenge.'"

I burst into laughter. "You sound like Nessie!"

Gia joined in my laughter. "Seriously though, Bella," she said when we sobered. "Make him pay for what he did to you, but... I have to ask that you leave Esme out of it all. She seems to genuinely be upset about you."

"You _told_ her?" I asked, panicked.

"No," Gia answered, finishing the last of the cupcakes up. "We were talking about our 'children' and I mentioned how 'my daughter Bella' likes to cook. Esme nearly started crying - if vampires _could_ cry. I asked her if she was alright, and she said she had a daughter named Bella, but she had died when she was still young. Obviously she was lying about the death part, but the pain was still real."

I smiled slightly, "Maybe I will go to the fundraiser with you. Just to see Esme."

"I'm sure she would like that," Gia smiled warmly.

We packed the cupcakes into boxes and loaded them into the trunk of Gia's Mercedes. She drove carefully - actually keeping within the speed limit for the first time in her vampire life - through town to the city hall where the Benefit for Children's Dreams charity bake sale was taking place.

"I'll take these right here, if you'll just grab the last of them," Gia said, picking up four of the nine boxes of cupcakes.

"Got it," I gathered the last five boxes up and they nearly covered my face - leaving only the top half of my face visible.

"Follow me," Gia led me up the steps into the Grand Ballroom where aisles and aisles of tables were set up to bear the weight of the dozens of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pies, cakes, and various other sweet treats that were for sale.

"Gia!" a familiar voice called to my mother, delighted. "You made it!"

"Hello, yes. I said I'd be here," Gia answered. "Where can we set these down?"

"Over here," the voice answered and I followed the sound of their footsteps over to a table already buried in pastries.

"And who's this?" the voice asked as I set my burden down/

"This is my oldest daughter - Bella," Gia introduced me before disappearing to help others unload their wares, knowing that Esme and I could handle this table.

I set the boxes down and turned around to find Esme gaping at me.

"Hello," I smiled politely at her.

"Oh my," Esme whispered quietly. "Bella?"

"Um, yes?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

Esme shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry, you just look like someone I once knew, but you can't possibly... could you?" her voice was so hopeful, so pleading, I almost gave in and told her the truth. But that would mean telling her children also - including Edward, who deserved to deal with the pain he put me through.

"I don't think so," I smiled apologetically. "I've never left New York until we moved here."

"Oh, of course, my mistake," Esme quickly apologized before frowning again. "Pardon me for asking, but Gia doesn't seem old enough to be your mother, nor do you look anything alike. Why is that?"

"Oh, I'm adopted," I replied cheerily as we began to unpack the cupcakes. "My mother died giving birth, my father and grandparents died over a year ago. I was actually named after Gran. Speaking of names, I don't believe I caught yours."

"Oh, I'm Esme Cullen. My husband Doctor Carlisle Cullen, one of the doctors up at the hospital."

"Esme?" I repeated, feigning delight. "Gran knew an Esme once. In fact, my sister Renesmee was named after her!" I wanted Esme to know that, no matter what Edward had put me through, I still loved her like a second mother. "Pass me the scissors please."

I took the scissors from her and the sound of them clipping the string off the last box was the only sound at our table.

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**A/N:**

**K, so a couple of people keep asking me about my update schedule and the answer to that is... I have none. I try to update about once a week (especially since there's so many people following this) but it doesn't always work out that way - I travel a lot during the summer.**

**Also, for those of you following the Goldeyes, I swear I'm still going to write that, but a friend of mine begged me to focus on this one, so I probably won't update that for a while...**

**Um, thirdly, I kind of have an idea as to what the pictures of what Bella's family does while she's at the bake sale, but I think they're kind of lame, so if you have a suggesting just leave it in the reviews or drop me a PM. Also, I'm only going to have Bella laughing at pictures of the events that took place rather then switch points of views since that drives me nuts when authors do it (hence why I dislike the second Olympians series).**

**Oh, and fourthly, the person who keeps reviewing just as "A"... are you who I think you are? Put the name of my fake boyfriend in your next review if it is because I'm dying to find out, and if not, y'all just think I'm crazy.**


	8. Never Happened

"Edward Cullen was looking for you," were the first words out of Renesmee's mouth when Gia and I parked in front of the house. "Said he's coming over later, that he really wants 'to apologize for what happened yesterday.'" I could hear the bitter sarcasm in her voice as she quoted him - probably word for word.

"What are Jake and Vern up to in there?" I asked, jerking my head toward the garage while ignoring her report and inquiring after the mysterious noises coming from the large structure.

"Prepping for his visit. They're going to 'accidently' pelt him with paintballs." Ben answered, flashing to my side with a stack of already developed photos. "Here's what we did in school today, Mommy," she added in a baby-voice as she handed over the pictures.

I took the stack from her and laughed at the very first picture, hurriedly flipping to the next one.

"Poor Cullens," I giggled, delighted at the twenty odd photos depicting my ex-lover's family being harassed, humiliated, or annoyed in one way or another.

Edward's beloved silver Volvo had been spray painted a bright neon pink and filled through it's sunroof with some kind of foam - whip cream, knowing Renesmee and Jacob.

Alice looked ready to strangle someone in one of the pictures, coming back from Gym to find her entire outfit dyed black and covered in purple feathers and fake gemstones.

Rosalie's shampoo had been switched out for some cement-glue concoction, leaving her looking like a mad scientist.

Emmett, however, was laughing in the only photo of him - completely covered in green paint.

I stopped flipping through the pictures when I heard a car turn off the main highway onto our long, twisting driveway.

"He's coming!" Renesmee hollered in a creepy sing song voice.

I rolled my eyes and flashed up to my bedroom, changing into my sweats and tennis shoes so I looked like I was ready to go for a run. I made it back down to the front yard and began to stretch before Edward made it past the third of eight switchbacks.

I had my back to him, "stretching" my hamstrings, when he finally made it up to the house - I could hear him cursing the length of my driveway, which was almost double the length of his due to all the curves, and the slow speed necessary to navigate them even for a vampire.

I glanced over my shoulder casually, faked surprise to see him climbing out of his pink Volvo, and then scowled at him before turning back to face the forest, stretching my back and shoulder muscles now.

"Can we talk?" Edward asked, quietly coming up behind me.

"I'm going for a run," I snapped at him in reply.

"May I join you then?" I glanced at him taking in his khaki pants and green pull-over sweater - all of the Cullens had been a lot better dressed today than they had yesterday.

"Can you keep up?" I smirked, eyeing his tan loafers. Alice's doing, no doubt.

"I believe so," Edward replied, smiling slightly again what he thought was a private joke.

"Fine," I took off at a four-minute mile pace.

I could practically feel the shock Edward was radiating.

We ran through the forest - me easily maintaining my above average human pace and Edward struggling to slow AND make it look like he was struggling to "keep up."

I led him through trees, over hills, and across ankle deep streams. I finally circled back towards my house, arriving twenty minutes after we left.

"You're fast," Edward commented, forgetting to look winded.

"Attack!" Jacob suddenly screamed and he, Vern, Ben, and Renesmee jumped out from their hiding places.

I immediately dropped to the ground and it was only Edward who ended up covered in splatters of pink, orange, yellow, and green paintballs.

Jacob swore loudly while Ben took a discreet picture of Edward's enraged surprise.

"Dang! We missed her!" Jacob growled. "And we're out of ammo."

"Tough luck, Jakey," I grinned, jumping nimbly to my feet - and forcing myself to stumble at the last second to continue the klutz charade. "I believe that leaves us at Her- 20,000 and Them - 0."

"We'll get you next time, Isabella," Vern growled.

"You say that every time," I shrugged, grabbing the hose. "Here, let me wash you off."

Ignoring Edward's protests ("That's not really nece- No! No!"), I turned the hose on full blast - which just so happened to be slightly gentler than a fire hose thanks to Vern tinkering - and soaked the bronze-haired vampire ex-lover of mine.

Ben took another photo of that also and I suddenly realized she was planning a scrapbook for all of this.

"I'll get you a towel," I smiled when I had effectively removed the majority of the special paint Carlos had concocted forever ago.

Skipping cheerfully, I hurried upstairs to one of the bathrooms with my sisters and Vern following me inside. I grabbed the bright Barbie towel we had from Gia's childhood and paused next to the open window when I heard Jacob speaking outside.

"Listen, Leech," he growled to Edward. "Don't look so surprised - I knew what you were when Renesmee and Isabella first met you yesterday. And I know you know that I'm a shape-shifter.'

"You are the same Jacob Bella spoke of forty years ago," Edward stated - it wasn't a question.

"Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner," Jacob replied sarcastically. "How long did it take you to figure that one out?"

"I didn't know Bella was close friends with you."

"Yeah, well, I've watching over her family since YOU destroyed her life."

"Do they kn-"

"Heck no. Isabella and Renesmee both know about me, but they know nothing about your kind," Jacob lied. "To them 'leech' is either a type of insect of a name for their grandmother's ex-boyfriend."

"Why do they smell -"

"Don't know, don't care," Jacob lied smoothly again. "Just stay the heck away from them."

I watched out the window as Edward studied Jacob, "You imprinted on the girl - Renesmee." Yet another statement.

Jacob froze, his hands clenched, and nodded stiffly, his posture too tense.

"How did Bella react to that?"

"She... wasn't too happy, but she accepted it a long time ago."

The two immortals sized each other up before Edward spoke again. "Isa - or is it Bella now? - is important to Renesmee. That is why you do not wish for me to become close to her." He seemed to be making a lot of accurate statements today.

"_Bella_ is important to _ma_," Jacob growled. "Even if I weren't in love with Nessie the case would remain the same." He relaxed slightly to show the pain he felt for me - a watered down version of my own. "I would rather not see history repeat itself," he tensed again. "So you'd better not hurt this Bella or I'll tear you to shreds and burn the pieces into ash."

"Understood," Edward nodded and I finally headed downstairs and opened the front door to join them.

"Here you are," I said, tossing the Barbie towel I had grabbed at him. I heard Ben take another picture through the window I had been eavesdropping through. "Sorry about my siblings." _Sorry they didn't get you worse_, I added mentally.

"Thanks, and don't worry about it. I have annoying brothers and sisters of my own. Can we talk now?" Edward asked, drying his hair off with the pink girl towel. "Alone?" he added, glancing at Jacob who had yet to leave.

I _almost_ wanted to say that no matter where we were in the house, my family would hear whatever he had to say to me. Instead, I just shrugged and turned to walk towards the garage where he would _think_ we would have the privacy he desired.

"You're not going to attack me again, are you?" I asked, my tone deadly serious. "Because if so, I should warn you, the blow torch is easily accessible to me, and I don't think that kind of damage would be temporary."

Edward looked pained and I rolled my eyes, "Geez! I'm kidding! Get a sense of humor!"

"I'm sorry, B- Isa. About yesterday. I have trouble with my temper sometimes," Edward apologized. "But that didn't give me an excuse to hurt you like that and I am sorry. Is there any way you can forgive me?"

I stared at him for a minute. "Bella," I finally decided to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled over us. "I'm going by _Bella_ now. Gran's dead so there won't be any confusion." I explained when he looked at me, confused.

"Your grandmother's... dead?" Edward asked, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "W-when did that happen?"

I shrugged. "Little over a year ago. She was in the car crash that killed my dad."

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered, and I swore if he was human he would be crying.

I wonder why that was.

He quickly composed himself. "And again, I apologize for what happened yesterday. And I was wondering," my whole body tensed.

_Please, oh, please don't ask me out or anything,_ I begged silently.

"If- if you would be willing to - maybe - start over?" He looked like a little boy just then, worried that he might have asked for too much but scared not to ask also.

I unfroze and frowned at him. "What? What do you mean?"

"Maybe, we could just pretend yesterday never happened? Start over with a clean slate?" I could hear the pleading note in Edward's voice and I thought over what he was asking of me.

A clean slate. Yesterday never happened.

And i could repay him for what he had done to me forty years ago.

I smiled. "I'm sorry..." Edward looked crestfallen at my words. "But... who are you? I don't believe we've met before."

He grinned, catching on to what I was saying, and stuck his hand out. "Of course. Forgive me my poor manners, miss. My name is Edward Cullen. It is pleasure to meet you."

I took his hand and shook it daintily. "Bella Cigno. Likewise."

We smiled at each other and I laughed internally.

Time to let these chips fall where they may.

Edward and I stayed in the garage for a few hours just talking. We discussed everything from Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and Edgar Allan Poe to Justin Bieber, Kati Perri, and Michael Jackson. It was dark out when we finally decided to call it a night and I walked him to his car. I laughed when I saw the pink paint job, acknowledging it out loud for the first time.

"What?" Edward asked - probably annoyed he couldn't read my mind just like my "Gran's."

"I wouldn't think you would be one to drive around in a pink car," I teased.

Edward glanced at his car and growled, scowling. "Some..." he glanced at me and quickly changed his words, "_infant _painted it while I was in school. I haven't had time to get it fixed since I came here after dropping my family off at home."

I smiled, touched he had put me - a girl he thought he barely knew - over he precious car.

"A _baby_ painted your car?" I teased again.

"I have a different name for the culprit in mind, but it is hardly appropriate to say in front of a lady. _Infant_ was the only alternative I could think of," Edward chuckled.

"Ah, a gentleman," I said, still giggling. I put on an overly fake, horrible British accent and curtsied mockingly. "Well, good sir. I wish you a good eve and safe travels as you return to your fine family upon this beautiful night."

Edward laughed and returned my curtsy with a flourished bow. "I thank you, my fine lady, for this excellent afternoon and your good wishes for me this eve. I return those wishes in full and bid you a good night." Without hesitating, Edward leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, quickly jumping in his car before I could react.

I raised my hand slowly to where his lips had touched my skin as I watched him speed away.

"What. The. Heck?!" I heard Renesmee shout from inside the house. "I can't believe - You - He - Ugh!"

* * *

**So, sorry I haven't update in a while. Like I said, traveling. A lot. This time I'm heading West!**

**Also, I now have over fifty followers for this story... why do the reviews always average about five a chapter? Make you a deal - or threaten you really - I have to have ten review before I update next. by different people. I know, I'm being mean, but reviews make my day and keep me from getting depressed about my writing. So ten reviews! and GO! GO! GO!**


	9. Tell Me

"Calm down, Renesmee," I ordered calmly, opening the front door to find her fuming with her arms folded so tightly they looked like they would never come undone.

"You just _forgave_ him that easily?" she hissed at me. "That- that- that _idiota Jerkwad mentira de dos caras_?!" (**idiotic two-faced lying jerkwad**).

"Yes," I answered coolly, raising an eyebrow at her Spanish. "I forgave him... for yesterday."

"Wha-?! Oh." Renesmee frowned, catching on. "What the heck are you planning, Isabella Marie?"

"Don't worry, Renesmee Carlie," I returned, patting her head on my way up the stairs. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

I dashed up to my bedroom and began to dig through my closet to find the green v-neck long sleeve t-shirt I hadn't worn since I went with Edward to meet his family. I hadn't it worn it in years, but I had never been able to find the courage to throw it away so it had ended in the very back of my closet.

"Perfect," I said, leaving it on the bed for me to wear in the morning before I turned to one of my blank canvases to paint me and Edward in the Italian restaurant forty years ago.

I had just finished hanging the finished painting on the wall when Gia called a ten minute warning for school. I hurriedly washed the oil paints off the brushes and my hands and changed into the green shirt and a clean pair of Levi's before dashing down to my car.

"Hey, isn't that -?" Renesmee began when she saw what I was wearing.

"Yep, I answered, throwing my hair up into a high ponytail.

Renesmee grinned. "For once, I approve the outfit you picked out by yourself," she laughed and I rolled my eyes, starting my car's engine.

Vern initiated a race between our three vehicles and we sped off to the high school.

"Ha!" I cried, jubilant that I had beaten my brothers. "I win!"

"Whatever, Bella," grumbled Jacob, annoyed. He perked up when he saw a car behind me. "Cullen got his ride fixed!"

I turned around and found that Edward had re-painted his car over night, and once again, his Volvo was a shiny silver.

"We'll re-do it during lunch," Vern said. "I've got a Disney princess decal this time." He and Jacob laughed, slapping a high five.

"Alright!" Jacob chuckled. as the Cullens joined us - all of them in designed clothes and all of them well fed. They were taking better care of themselves since we had arrived.

"What's up?" Emmett asked, his eyes glowing with curiosity.

"We're seeing Bella's ex-boyfriend soon," Renesmee answered sweetly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "We're just plotting ways to get revenge for what he did to her."

Ben frowned, "Everyone but Bella and i have gotten in on the action; I really want him to pay."

"Actually, Beni," Vern said, grimacing like he was about to deliver a death announcement. "Bells has got a plan for revenge, remember?"

"What are you- Oh!" Ben's confusion turned to shock when she remembered what I was planning. "That's her plan? I thought she was just being her typical over-forgiving self. I mean she DID forgive Eddie for bruising her arm so badly she can't paint. Why not forgive Anthony?"

Edward winced when she mentioned my bruise and didn't even comment on her use of his hated nickname.

"What can I say?" I shrugged. "I'm usually a forgiving person, but Anthony... he's going DOWN."

"What did he _do_ to you?" Rosalie asked, frowning.

My family and I stared at her for a minute in silence before shaking our heads in unison, turning away as one, and stalking towards the school building in our typical flock formation - the Cullens following directly behind us.

"You guys are looking better today," Renesmee complimented them, eyeing their designer clothing and bright colors.

"Yeah, we were all really sick last week and didn't feel like doing laundry," Alice lied easily. "So we just wore sweats until we got better."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her. I knew for a fact that Alive hardly ever let her family wear the same thing twice - Carlisle was really the only one who got away with it since he wore dress pants and button-ups all day - so doing the laundry at the Cullens house was almost completely unnecessary.

"What did you guys have?" Renesmee asked, playing along.

"Carlisle figures it was some kind of bug," Alice shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah," Emmett guffawed, wiggling his eyebrows excitedly. "We were all puking our guts out and there were used snot rags EVERYWHERE," he laughed, delighted with his disgusting description of their fake illness.

"Lovely," I commented dryly.

"No, _gross,_" Ben grimaced. "Thanks for giving me that image."

"No problem," Emmett grinned in response.

Alice and Edward's golden eyes suddenly snapped into focus on me - or more particularly, my shirt.

"Hey, Isa - " Alice began.

"She goes by _Bella_ now," my family corrected her.

"_Bella_, then... Where did you get that shirt?"

The other Cullens then turned to see what Alice was talking about. I saw their shocked - and in Emmett's case, confusion - and grinned.

"You like it?" I asked, spinning lightly so she could see the entire shirt. "I found it while going through my Gran's attic one time. It still smells like her even though she hadn't worn it in... How many years, Renesmee? Thirty?"

Renesmee shook her head, "Little over forty. Last time she wore that was when she met the Leech's family, officially, remember?"

"That's right!" I agreed, turning toward the Cullens. "Gran really wanted to impress the Pixie - not that it worked. Little Pixie only pretended to like her. Apparently the only one who didn't bother to pretend to like her was Ice Queen and Momma - who genuinely liked her, but according to Gran, Momma liked anyone who wasn't out to kill her kids."

The Cullens all flinched then glanced at Edward who looked like he had just been told mountain lions had gone extinct. Alice glared at him.

"Bella," she said slowly, her voice almost a growl. "What exactly happened when the _Leech_ broke up with you Gran?"

I was saved answering her question when the bell rang for first period. "We'd better get to class!" I announced, racing down the hall with Vern and Rosalie hot on my heels.

"I expect the story at lunch!" Alice screamed after me.

I shook my head and started to plan ways to get out of it.

"Might as well tell them," Vern muttered to me as class started. "I'm curious to hear the story too."

I glanced up from my notes to him and frowned. "Ness and I never told you it? I thought for sure we did..."

"Bells," Vern shook his head - mocking disappointment. "Exactly how many times did your Gran drop you on your head as a baby? It seems to have effected your memory."

"Hardee-har-har," I replied sarcastically. "But seriously, I never told you?"

"Nope," he popped the 'p' sound. "Most of what I know has been picked up from listening through walls when _she_ was crying."

He eyed me sympathetically and I flinched glaring down at my notes, my eyes burning with the tears that would never fall for me.

"What do you know?" I whispered quietly, wanting to know the answer but dreading it at the same time.

"All I really know was that your Gran thought of the Leech's family as her own.

"Mountain Man was the fun-loving, jokester, protective brother she always wanted. He was ready to make her laugh when she was upset and tear apart the jerk who had made her cry. But in reality, he was just excited to have a pet to play with and got bored of her just as fast as the Leech.

"Soldier was the calm, reliable brother, always ready to offer advice of comfort. He was just annoyed with her weaknesses and wanted her to stop it all.

"Pixie was like that annoying sister who wanted to drag her from store to store till she collapsed. She just wanted a Barbie doll to play with, but was aggravated with how much work had to be done to make her look pretty." Vern paused and I took a shaky breath.

He knew it all. I must have talked about it in my sleep one time.

"And?" I asked quietly. If he knew this much about those three, then he knew about the rest of them.

Vern sighed, "Momma actually liked her - but like you said, she liked anyone that didn't plan on killing her kids.

"Doctor was for anyone Momma was. Although he was annoyed with how often she got hurt.

"And the Ice Queen... just thought it was pointless to pretend and was a total -"

"Mr. Waynern, is there something you would like to share with the class?" Miss Zlo asked angrily.

"Uh, uhm," Vern answered, unsure how to answer.

"He was just asking for some help understanding the problem we are discussing," Rosalie surprised us both by coming to his rescue. "In fact, I'm having a little trouble understanding this also. Do you mind repeating that last section?"

Miss Zlo turned back to her lesson excitedly, obviously ecstatic that one of the _Cullens_ were having trouble understanding her lesson.

Vern turned toward Rosalie and mouthed "Thank you" to her. Rosalie smiled at him, but her eyes were sad as she glanced over at me briefly.

I turned back to my notes - doodles, actually. But Miss Zlo didn't need to know that I already had an accurate sketch of her dressed as one of the three Furies, the devil, and Bigfoot.

I sighed as I finished another sketch - this time with Miss Zlo as Medusa - and the bell rang for the next class. I took off out the door for my next class and met Renesmee for English.

"So what do you plan on doing?" she asked as soon as she saw me. "Are we going to tell them?"

I sighed, throwing my mind shield over the entire class so that if Edward happened to try to listen in, he would hear nothing. "I have no clue. I know they already know, so why bother to repeat it?"

"Yeah..." Renesmee said, frowning. "But... if they do know the story, why would they bother to ask us to tell it?"

"Maybe they just want to confirm we're really my granddaughters or something," I shrugged, turning away from her as our class began.

"Mhh," she agreed.

I stared down at my notes - drawings - all throughout my morning classes, trying to decide whether or not I wanted to tell the story to the Cullens when they already knew. I glanced at the clock as the bell for lunch rang and sighed. My time for decision making was over.

Alice pounced on me as soon as I entered the lunch hall.

"Tell. Me. Now." She ordered in a growl, her grip on my arm was almost too tight.

"Why does it matter so much?" I snapped, trying to pry my arm from her grip.

"I have an insatiable curiosity, and it'll bug me until I learn what happened to your gran!" she shouted causing several people to turn and stare at us.

I sighed and shook my head. "Let me sit down first. It's a long story."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Wow, you guys are amazing. More then twenty reviews for that last chapter! I was ecstatic! Think you guys can beat that this time?**

**Sorry for not updating earlier, I've been traveling, but as soon as I get home, I'll start updating more often as long as school doesn't get in the way.**

**In the mean time, keep those review coming! Please!**

**P.S. one of my friends (who introduced me to Fanfic . net) just posted her first story for Danny Phantom - Make a Wish by amiableblissseeker. Go check it out and help make her day too!**


	10. Story

I sat staring at the water bottle cap I held in my hands, feeling the Cullens watching me through the curtain of hair I had let fall between us. I sighed and slowly let the emotional shield I had between me and Japser drop. I heard him gasp quietly at the onslaught of my emotions. He immediately began to help me calm down by sending me waves of peace and I sighed again.

"Alright," I mumbled, lifting my head to look at all of them.

Alice seemed to barely be suppressing her anger; Rosalie was shooting daggers at Edward with her eyes before turning back to me with sympathy for my "Gran" in her eyes; Emmett looked very confused and upset, and Edward and jasper looked pained for very different reasons.

"Alright," I repeated. Louder this time. "First, please understand that this story is very close to me because I went through the exact same thing. Gran's and my love lives are almost mirror images of each other - the only difference being that she was able to move on partially - have kids. I'm still stuck," I added in a mumble. I sighed again and met each of their eyes but avoided the looks on my sister's faces (my brothers were off vandalizing Edward's car again and were sending Renesmee pictures of their progress every now and again). "So if I start crying, that's why," I waited for them to nod before I continued.

"When Gran was... sixteen?" I messed up on purpose to see if any of them corrected me.

"Seventeen," all of the Cullen's replied unconsciously - not even thinking about it.

I ignored them. "She moved to Washington to live with her father. On her first day of school, she spotted the Leech and his family in the cafeteria. She asked one of the girls next to her and learned how the entire family was adopted and how four of the five were dating each other - the fifth being the Leech who no one seemed to be worth enough for."

I paused, playing with the bottle cap between my fingers. "Gran knew that she especially could never be worth of the beautiful man - how could she? She was just plain ol' Bella Swan!"

Renesmee interrupted me, "Gran had self-confidence issues - something Bella here inherited."

"It's not self-confidence issues," I argued. "It's facing reality."

"Bells, we are _twins_," Renesmee pointed out. "We are identically beautiful to Gran since we look _just like her_. And if anyone didn't deserve the other in that relationship," she added, angrily, turning towards the Cullens, "it was that pathetic Leech."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be hearing any arguments on that factor from us," Rosalie sneered as she and Alice incinerated Edward with their eyes. They shot him the same disgusted look so fast_ I_ barely saw it.

"Will you please continue the story?" Emmett growled, not even realizing the cookie he had been holding in his hand had been turned into a very fine powder that trickled through his fingers in his tight fist onto his lunch tray.

Renesmee twisted toward me and raised her eyebrows - silently telling me to go on - before glancing down at the newest text picture from the boys and snickering. She touched my hand and showed me and I held back a chuckle.

I sighed and shifted my mental shield so that it covered all of the Cullens but Edward (who looked shocked that his siblings had disappeared) before I continued.

"Anyway, after lunch, Gran went to Biology class where she was assigned to sit next to _him_," I emphasized the pronoun. "At first, she thought he hated her, but after a week of absence he confessed that there had been a family issue that he had just been notified of when she walked into class." i paused, briefly dwelling on the events that followed that day I talked to Edward for the first time - Tyler's van heading towards me; Edward tackling me out of the way; our argument at the hospital; the weeks I honestly believed he wished he had let the van kill me; Mike, Eric, and then Tyler asking me to the_ girl's choice_ dance; Edward telling me he was tired of staying away from me; the blood testing class; nearly fainting; the trip to La Push; shopping in Port Angeles; almost being...; Edward coming to save me; telling him I knew; showing up to school in his car; the miraculous day in our - his - meadow; meeting his family officially; watching them play baseball; and James showing up.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and shoved Ben's hand away - he had been waving it frantically in front of my face for the last five minutes as I daydreamed. "I'll skip over the details of their romance - I only know half of it anyway - but I do know that Gran honestly loved him and thought that he returned the emotion in full. Gran... ran into someone who didn't... approve their relationship and tried to kill her. Once that was taken care of, everything was fine for a few days, except for the fact the Leech and his family were growing more distant from her. Finally, about a week after everything had settled down and she was getting ready to leave the hospital, the Leech came into her room and just sat there for a minute in silence."

"Can I help tell this part?" Renesmee asked, stopping me from moving onwards with the story. "It's better when two people do it. I'll be Gran," she volunteered.

I nodded in agreement.

"Bella," I quoted him, reproducing his exact tone easily, "have you made your final decision as to where you are going after you're released from here?"

"What do you mean?" Renesmee copied the confusion in my voice perfectly. "I already told you I was going back to Forks. With you."

I sighed like he had then. "I think you should go to Florida with your mother."

"We already talked about thi-"

"Bella," I groaned and then smirked. "You _honestly_ believed I was going to stick around and watch you grow old and grey? You aren't_ that_ stupid, are you, Bella?"

I saw Edward flinch and removed my shield from the Cullens' minds so he could hear his family's thoughts.

_Feeling guilty, Eddie?_ I thought bitterly, still hiding my own thoughts.

"But 'the Pixie...'' Renesemee said, continuing with our aliases for them.

I laughed coldly - just like he had. "She lied. She wanted you to think you were friends so you were calm. In truth, she would rather have nothing to do with you - same with the rest of my siblings. You were only ever a convenient toy for us."

"What...?"

I shook my head sadly. "Clearly I have to be even more blunt._ I'm bored of you, Bella._ You are no longer worth my time. Go to Florida with your mother and get on with your life."

"Of - of course. You're right. I'm sorry for wasting your time," Renesmee said, her voice cracking in just the right places.

I quickly wiped my tears - the venom tears that weren't supposed to fall, but did for me when I was really upset - away and looked up to see the Cullen's all barely suppressing their anger and pain.

"I guess falling in love with people who don't return it runs in my family with the name 'Isabella.' Anthony pretended to love me about as long as the Leech did with Gran." I smiled sarcastically, "He even used basically the same speech when he broke up with me - omitting the moving away parts. And ..." I paused, frowning." Why the heck am I even telling you this?! I just met you people two days ago!"

"What's up?" Jacob and Vern asked as they finally joined us.

"Why's Is - Bella crying?" Jacob frowned, wrapping an arm around Renesmee.

"We just told the Cullens about her and Anthony - and her Gran and the Leech." Ben answered, kissing her mate.

"Dang it! I missed it!" Vern cursed, and Ben and Renesmee rolled their eyes.

"I can't believe you find humor in my sister's and grandmother's pain," Renesmee scolded him, scowling. "All you _should_ know is that Anthony broke Bella's heart and the Leech broke Gran's."

"Broke?" Ben scoffed. "_That's_ an understatement. He stabbed her in the back, ripped her heart out, shredded it to bits, burned the pieces, and peed on the ashes before scattering them to the winds."

"When's this Anthony kid coming?" Jasper growled. "I'd love to help you destroy him."

I rolled my eyes and quickly raised my shield against him. "So anyway, Alice, that's what happened when the Leech broke up with my Gran. And what Anthony did to me, Rosalie."

"No wonder you want to destroy him," she growled, shooting daggers at Edward who was staring down at his hands expressionlessly. "I want to kill them for you and your Gran."

Apparently, Edward had heard enough. He slammed his hands down on the tabletop so hard the linoleum cracked and stood before stalking out of the cafeteria.

"Excuse me," Emmett snarled before storming after him.

"I'm going to go make sure they don't break something," Jasper ground out, following in his brothers' wakes.

"What's their problem?" Vern asked, amused.

"Nothing," Alice and Rosalie hissed.

"I'm going to go wash my face," I lied, getting up after a moment of silence.

I found the Cullen boys' scents right outside the cafeteria door and followed the smell across campus to the forest where is disappeared into the woods. Strengthening my shield to its max - in which I became completely invisible - I followed after them.

Emmett and Jasper stood - vibrating with anger - just outside of a clearing about five miles into the maze of trees and undergrowth. I stepped around them silently and they didn't even sense my invisible presence. I glanced around the still meadow and finally spotted a crop of bronze hair among the wildflowers.

Edward had collapsed in the middle of a patch of flowers on the other side of the clearing.

No. I realized, surprised. He had been thrown there.

"What. The. HECK!" Emmett roared at his younger brother and the birds in the trees above took flight.

"Edward," Jasper said, his voice just as harsh but quieter. "Did you really say all those things? Every single one of those cruel heartless things to her? To _Bella_?"

I didn't get to stay and see how Edward would respond because my phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out as I raced back to the high school.

**Renesmee**- ALICE IS LOOKING FOR YOU!

I froze just outside the front entrance. I could hear Alice coming towards me and I had yet to drop my shield enough for her to hear me approaching the door.

Quick as lightning, I scaled the three story building, dropping my shield almost completely when I reached the roof. I heard Vern's fake heartbeat restart as I settled down next to one of the gym's giant skylights and felt the illusion on my eyes fall back into place.

"Bella?" I heard Alice shout to the empty parking lot. She paused before heading back inside.

I sat there in silence for a good two minutes and three seconds before the door to the roof flew open and Alice joined me in this "Authorized Access Only" area.

"Oh, Bella," she breathed in relief, catching sight of me curled against the skylight. "Are you alright, honey?" she asked, kneeling next to me and gathering me into her tiny, stone arms.

It was only then that I realized I was crying again.

"Why do you care?" I asked bitterly, shoving gently at her in a "human" attempt to escape her embrace.

"You remind me of my sister," Alice whispered to me, refusing to let go of me.

"Rosalie?" I laughed doubtfully.

"No," Rosalie said, sitting on my other side and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I hadn't even noticed her joining us on the roof. "Ali is talking about our other sister - Edwards last girlfriend."

"Wha - What happened to her?" I asked wondering if they would tell me the truth or a lie.

"She was with us one time when she nearly died," Alice whispered. "Edward blamed himself for what happened."

"But he told us she had decided to move," Rosalie spat out harshly. "And we _believed_ him!" she exclaimed, disgusted. "Now I'm not so sure if he told us the truth about what happened."

"Of course he didn't!" Alice hissed angrily. "Even _you_ should know her better than that, Rose! And you spent the least amount of time with her!"

"I know!" Rosalie hissed back, "And I've regretted that ever since - especially since I couldn't help but blame myself for her leaving. Do you even _know_ how often I'd wonder if things would be different if I'd been nicer to her? Maybe she'd have stayed and Edward would never have gotten that haunted look in his eyes!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and entirely forgetting about me.

"_Edward_!" Alice snarled. Her pixie features were contorted with rage as she sprang agilely to her feet. "This is all _his fault_! She'd still be here - _with us_ - if it weren't for _him._ I can't _believe_ he would say those things to her. I - I wish we could find her again."

"Well, obviously, we can't," Rosalie whimpered. "But," she glanced down at me and lowered her voice so I barely heard it, "we do have a second chance with her granddaughter."

Alice stared at her for a minute in silence and I stared up at them in wonder.

Edward had lied about his family only seeing me as a convenient toy?

"You're right!" Alice breathed in wonder, delight evident in her tiny features. "Oh, Bella!" she cried, kneeling and hugging me tightly again. "Will you please, please, _please_ come home with us tonight? It's a Friday so we can stay up as late as you want. And the rest of your family can come too!"

I gaped at her, somewhat surprised by her sudden change in attitude. Then I considered her question.

Go to the Cullens home and possibly gather more ammo against Edward? Spend time with my old family who apparently never wanted to leave me - with the exception of a certain bronze haired mind reader? See Esme again? How could I refuse?

I didn't realize I had said the last part aloud until Alice squealed excitedly and Rosalie joined in the sudden hug I was given.

"We can make it an overnight!" Alice shrieked happily. "Oh, I have the cutest pajamas that you can wear! Will the others join us?" she pulled back and gave me the Bambi eyes and I was done for.

"I'll ask them right now." Pulling out my phone, I opened the mass conversation that I had used two days ago and texted my family.

**Me - **They weren't in on it. He lied. They want to have a over night. You guys up for it?

They replied immediately.

**Vern -** Heck yeah.

**Renesmee -** I've got the perfect outfits for all of us!

**Jacob -** will there B food?

**Ben -** wha time?

"They're in," I told Alice who was bouncing in place. "Ness has claimed Bella Barbie rights, Jake wants food, and Ben wants to know what time," I listed.

"Dang it, definitely, as soon as you can came," Alice giggled in reply. "We'd better get to class, the bell's gonna ring soon!"

Alice grabbed mine and Rose's hand - wait, Rose? - and dragged us down the staircase.

We split up at the bottom and dashed to our various classes. I sat down next to a silent Edward just before the bell rang. The teacher had yet to come in.

"Hey," I said to which he nodded stiffly. "What was with the disappearing act at lunch?"

Edward sighed and he looked pained. I noticed his wrist was in the process of re-attaching itself to his arm.

"Sorry about that," he whispered hoarsely and I caught sight of a mending fist sized crack on his throat. "I just..." his voice trailed off and he groaned, smacking his head down on the countertop. "Your story... made me think of something I try not to dwell on."

"Your ex?" I asked, making it sound like a guess.

Edward looked up surprised.

I shrugged, "Alice and Rosalie mentioned something about her."

We stopped talking as the teacher came in, hair disheveled and a red line on his right cheek from a book. He had obviously fallen asleep during his lunch break. I glanced at Edward and almost laughed at his pained expression. _He_ was finally getting what he deserved.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hello! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but between school and getting sick, I haven't had time, plus I lacked all motivation for updates/writing whatsoever. But, I think I made up for it since this one is a little bit longer then the rest.

So, I kind of stuck to the whole _New Moon_ reason why Edward left, but I changed _how_ he did it. So I hope your somewhat satisfied.

Anyway, next chapter is the sleepover. I kind of have an idea as to what will be going on, but I know for a fact their playing _Truth or Dare._ I know it's been done a million other times, but I want something specific to happen during the game. Other than that... I need suggestions to questions/dares to be done, from who, and to who.

Don't forget to leave a review!


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